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Water conservation

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Dry conditions in the summer of 2007/08 saw Hamilton approach the maximum levels of water it could source from the Waikato River. Treating and reticulating these extremely high volumes of water is a significant financial cost and ongoing use of these amounts is simply not sustainable, therefore a total ban on domestic garden sprinklers was introduced that summer to help reduce the city's water consumption – the first time in more than 20 years that such as measure was taken.

With long-term weather forecasts suggesting Hamilton could once again experience a similar dry spell, Hamilton City Council has joined forces with Environment Waikato and other territorial authorities throughout the greater Waikato region to encourage residents to be proactive about water conservation.

What you'll find
on this page

All water restrictions have now been lifted in Hamilton

If you have any questions regarding the alert levels, contact City Waters Unit on 838 6999.

For more information contact

Smart Water Use

Smart Water Use is a region-wide campaign which aims to strengthen people's perceptions of water as being a limited and precious resource, and educate and encourage residents to conserve water in their day-to-day lives. The campaign is not intended to be a 'quick fix' but to promote long-term, sustainable behavioural changes.

As part of Smart Water Use, in 2008 Hamilton City Council introduced the following alert levels based around the city's water consumption. These alerts come into effect in the city in the summer months, with changes in levels communicated through local newspapers, radio stations, signage, and on this website.

Smart Water Use Focus Group

In November 2009, five households responded to an advertisement in Hamilton Press calling for residents to take up a challenge to reduce their outdoor water use. Click here to find out more about the Focus Group challenge.

Calculate your water usage

Smart water use calculator

Water Use Calculator

Give our interactive Water Use Calculator a go to find out how you can conserve water around the home.

Simply answer a few questions about your household and the calculator will provide you with your average daily water use per person. You’ll then receive some personalised tips identifying areas where you can save water.

Please note that the calculator provides an indication, rather than an exact measure, of your water usage.

Start the Water Use Calculator

Two versions of the calculator display differently but contain exactly the same questions and will give the same results.

Home and garden tour

Visit rooms in your home and garden to calculate your water usage. This version requires you to have FLASH plug-ins for your browser. If you do not have the plug-in and would like to view the FLASH calculator you will be directed to a page where you can download it.

Simple form

Complete the simple form that does not require any plug-ins.

This water-use calculator originally appeared on the North Shore City Council website. It has been adapted for the Smart Water Use campaign and used here with their kind permission.

Water saving tips

By following these suggestions you can reduce your water consumption by 45%:

If you wash your dishes by hand, don't leave the water running when rinsing them.
Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator so you don't waste water running the tap to cool the water down.
Don't leave water running while you clean vegetables. Put the plug in the sink.
Turn off the tap when shaving or brushing your teeth.

Water saving tips

Outdoors

Nearly two-thirds of water used by householders during the summer goes into the garden. Often it is wasted and too little is absorbed by the plants. To help reduce this wastage try use the following tips:

Avoid watering in the heat of the day or in windy weather.
Water your plants every fourth day in the summer, but water for longer periods. This makes the plants hardier and encourages the roots to go deeper into the soil.
If you have a lot of annuals or ferns, use a micro spray system. This will ensure water is absorbed and not wasted.
Use a timer with your sprinkler. A forgotten sprinkler wastes more than 1000 litres of water per hour.
Water the roots, not the leaves. Watering the leaves is not beneficial as it increases water loss through evaporation.
Use a trigger hose to control the water while moving the hose around.
Use a good mulch.This can prevent up to 70% of evaporation loss. Well rotted compost is best.
Don't water the paths. Cleaning with a broom is quicker and more efficient.
Don't allow children to play with the hose. They can waste over 1000 litres of water every hour.
There are a number of water saving devices that can assist you with conserving water outdoors. To find out more, click here.

Water saving tips

Indoors

Here are some helpful hints for reducing water consumption indoors:

Use your washing machine for full loads only. Each time you run your washing machine, you use about 100-200 litres of water.
Install water-saving shower heads or flow restrictions. Many shower heads put out 20 litres of water a minute, while 10 litres is enough.
Install or convert to a dual flush toilet. This allows you to use only half the water when needed.
If you have a water meter, carry out regular checks for leaks.
Commercial properties: purchase urinal control valves. These can save between 86% - 96% of previous annual water consumption.

Water saving tips

Pools

Here are some helpful hints for efficient water use for all sorts of pools:

To avoid water borne health risks it is essential that you add chlorine in the right dose to pool water. Chlorine levels are easily maintained in the ideal range of 1 to 3 parts per million by using inexpensive testers or pool test kits. These kits will also tell you what the acidity or alkalinity (pH) of your pool is and enable you to keep this around 7.5.
Chlorinating pool water will keep it cleaner for longer and reduce the need and frequency of refilling.
It is best practise to have a filter system for your pool.
A floating pool cover will greatly reduce the amount of chemicals you need to add to the water, and will also minimise loss of water through evaporation.
By utilising roof water, home pools can operate independently of the main water supply.
Encouraging swimmers to keep as much water inside the pool as possible will mean you won't have to top up the water level as often.
To avoid the cost and effort associated with maintaining a pool at home, consider visiting one of the city's public pools or taking a trip to a beach or lake instead. Commercial pools are designed to use water efficiently and recycle splashed water, while a number of beaches and lakes are within easy driving distance of Hamilton.