Water Use Level freephone: 902-WATER or (04) 902-9283
Otaki: (06) 368-1628
Water leaks and other water emergencies: 0800 486 486
Kapiti Coast is the most popular place to settle in the Wellington Region. Over the last five years, 450 houses on average have been built each year. Such growth puts strain on resources such as water.
During dry summers, our water supplies are under pressure as the normal year-round water consumption more than doubles to meet recreational uses, especially for gardening.
Kapiti water is our taonga, and we must do everything we can to manage it wisely. The Council is developing a secure supply for the townships in the District and one that can provide a supplementary supply during dry summer periods. At the same time, it is committed to protecting the landscape and natural areas which give Kapiti its character.
The Water Matters document (39 pages, 686KB) outlines the Council’s new demand management approach to sustainably managing the water resources in Kapiti. The policy recognizes there is an upper limit to how much water communities can take from each catchment. If a community reaches this limit it must look further afield for water or use less water from town supply.
The Central District community comprising Raumati, Paraparaumu and Waikanae is a case in point. Its current water supply relies on water from the Waikanae River. In dry times the river’s flow decreases, which coincides with increasing demand.
The Waikanae Borefield provides a supplementary supply to the central part of the district during dry periods. However, there is still a need to place some limits on water use to ensure demand does not exceed the capacity of the borefield.
The Council aims to reduce peak water consumption levels to 400 litres per person per day (lpd), consisting of 250 litres for essential and 150 litres for non-essential uses. If peak consumption drops to 400 lpd the Waikanae Borefield could meet demand up until the 2030's.
However, as Table 1 shows, consumption need to reduce considerably to meet these targets:
Local Townships |
Paekakariki |
Paraparaumu/
Raumati |
Waikanae |
Otaki |
Peak Consumption (lpd) |
603 lpd |
621 lpd |
808 lpd |
1070 lpd |
Table 1: Peak Water Consumption Figures (lpd) for the 2001 summer.
So, just how can we reach lower levels in the future? There are two sources of water: potable and non-potable. Potable water is water treated by the Council for drinking, hygiene and fire-fighting purposes.
Non-potable sources such as shallow garden bores and rain water tanks could be used for other household purposes such as laundry, toilets, watering the garden and lawn, and washing the car.
Currently most people use potable grade water for everything inside and outside the house. But do we really need to use treated town supply to water our gardens?
Here are some forms of non-potable water which could be easily used in your household:
Rain Water
For many people in rural Kapiti rain water is still the main source of water for both potable and non-potable uses.
Click here for a Ministry of Health document (4 pages, 48kb) about how to reduce the health risks from collecting rain water, and about keeping rain water at a drinkable level.
If you are interested in using rainwater on your garden, click on the brochure Are rain tanks enough for your garden? (4 pages, 163kb) to look at how much rain water you can realistically expect to collect, as well as water-efficient ways of gardening.
For information about how rain tanks can supply water for the toilet and laundry in your home and about the necessary Building Consents for adapting your home to a rain water supply, click here to take you to the website of the North Shore City Council.
Rain gardens soak up rainwater from the downpipe, driveway and lawn. As it rains, it fills up and temporaily ponds before the water soaks away. Rain gardens not only water themselves, they also excel at reducing pollutants (fertilizers, zinc off the roof, bird droppings, etc) leaving your property and help reduce chances of localised flooding.
The University of Wisconsin (UoW) has developed some community extension courses on sustainable water use. Click here for the UoW contents page that contains a variety of interesting topics. If you want a general overview of raingardens, there is an 8-page document. If you are a keen bean with broad band the full manual is 3MB in size.
Bore Water
Kapiti’s geology means there is water in deep aquifers and shallow groundwater, with the latter an ideal source for gardens.
Local iwi Te Ati Awa Ki Whakarongotai and the Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) have begun a joint monitoring programme on the take of shallow groundwater, with the aim of developing a policy for future sustainable use. This is a long term study, expected to continue for at least another four years. Te Ati Awa is currently consulted in regard to groundwater consent applications
Click here to see how the GWRC currently manages shallow groundwater use on the Kapiti Coast.
Greywater
Greywater is the wastewater produced by the household including water from the sink, bath, shower, washing machine and dishwasher, but not the toilet. The Council recommends using greywater in times of extended dry weather when there are no other options available.
You can use greywater to water your garden, but as there are associated health risks you need to read the article Greywater and your health (7 pages, 123kb) first and commit to running a well-maintained greywater system.
House Design
Inefficient garden or house design can use more water than necessary. The booklet
Easy Guide to Eco-Building (24 pages, 319kb) features simple and effective ways to reduce energy and water consumption in your home without extra costs; click here to download it.
Click here to take you to the BRANZ website and further information on sustainable construction.
Gardens
Good gardens come from good design and salt, wind and soil type can prove major hurdles without the right planning. These articles provided by bestgardening.com offer excellent advice on the following topics:
• successful garden design
• coastal gardening
• water efficiency.
Have you ever watered your soil only to find the top inch is wet and the bottom soil remains dry? When the silty, sandy soils in Kapiti become dry they can become water repellent. Burke's Backyard from Australia has some excellent tips for opening the soil to water; click here to check out their website.
Planting in Kapiti
Before planting out your garden, take a walk around the neighbourhood and see which plants seem to grow easily in the environment.
Catching spring rain with mulch will keep plant roots moist and cool.
Summer on the Coast: Prepare Now, Enjoy Later (1 page, 1mb) is an informative guide to mulching which appeared in the Kapiti Observer.
Irrigation
Water use more than doubles in the summer months as people get out there and irrigate their gardens and lawns. Not only can this be time consuming, older sprinklers can be quite inefficent and waste a lot of water.
However with modern advances in irrigation technology you can create watering systems that keep your garden and lawn happy, without wate or you wandering around the garden. Water clocks for example can be programmed to water a couple of times a week and will deliver the right amount of water your plants need.
Designing a system for your garden and lawn will need a bit of thought but its not rocket science. In fact companies such as Neta have created user friendly software packages where you can design your irrigation system in a step by step process. In fact if you have a firery DIY spirit, why don't you check out the following links and get cracking on putting in your irrigation system:
Green Plumbers
The Green Plumber programme is a Council service for residents who want to improve the water conservation in their house and garden, which runs from November to February.
The plumbers have extensive plumbing know-how and can provide useful and cost-effective advice. Armed with that advice, you will be able to tell your plumber exactly what you want done, saving time and trouble.
The Green Plumbers offer advice and education on:
• reactivating old water tanks
• making savings by improving your house plumbing
• fixing household leaks.
Click here (1 page, 47kb) to download further information about the Green Pllumber services.
Interested? The plumbers are available by appointment – simply ring the Council on (04) 904-5700 and outline the service you want.
Please also fill out the Water Audit Form (8 pages, 193 KB) to give the Green Plumber valuable information on how you use water, so they can tailor effective solutions for your needs.
Green Gardener
The Council is currently developing a Green Gardener scheme, whereby residents in the District receive free professional consultations about creating gardens that will look great throughout the summer without taxing the water supply.
Click here for more details (1 page, 2mb).
Fixing Water Leaks on your Property
Leaks are a big waste of water, and can have a major impact on consumption levels. The Council has a dedicated leak detection team to target leaks in its reticulation network. If a leak occurs on your property, you are required by law to fix it promptly.
To read more about leaks and your responsibilities for fixing them, please click here.