Leaks continue to spring up around the Wellington region. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
Wellington residents are being urged to continue to conserve water amid a regional shortage, despite a reduced risk in further restrictions.
The region is currently at Level 2, so sprinklers and irrigation systems are banned.
In a statement, Wellington Water's director of regulator services Charles Baker said local people's hard work meant the risk of moving to Level 3 this summer had gone from a 60 percent chance to 43 percent.
"We want to say a huge thank you for all their efforts. The fact that we've gotten through the highest risk period this summer and stayed at Level 2 is positive."
Level 3 restrictions would ban all residential outdoor water use. Businesses would be allowed to operate as normal but would need to do so pragmatically and responsibly.
Baker said MetService was forecasting hot and dry weeks ahead, so Wellingtonians needed to stay vigilant.
"We have already started dipping into the storage lakes for the Wellington Metropolitan region and will soon be transitioning over to the lakes as a main source of supply.
"This means that if it's hot and dry or we don't get sustained rainfall, and we continue to draw down on the water stored in the lakes, they won't have a chance to refill. If usage peaks, or there is a major incident that has a significant impact on supply, we may have to quickly go up to Level 3 to ensure there is enough water to go around."
He acknowledged the public's frustration over being asked to conserve water while leaks continued to spring up across the region.
"We're committed to staying focussed on the leaks, and if people keep an eye on their water use, together we're giving ourselves the best chance at getting through a tricky summer."