The Queenstown Lakes District Council is calling on residents to conserve water, in the hope of preventing water restrictions.
Photo: 123RF
The council is asking residents to take measures such as hand-watering gardens, using sprinkler timers, taking shorter showers and checking for leaks, as water restrictions are a real possibility over summer.
The council's chief engineer, Ulrich Glasner, says demand for water soars over summer.
He says recent hot weather has put the water supply of several communities under strain, particularly Arrowtown and Luggate.
Mr Glasner says while restrictions have not had to be imposed yet, that could change if reservoir levels continue to fall.