Water shortage hits Kapiti Coast again

By Alan Tristram

The Kapiti Coast District Council says  bore water is again being added to Waikanae River water to supply Waikanae, Paraparaumu and Raumati.

This is because the level of the Waikanae River (left) is falling faster than expected.

Waikanae River is currently flowing at 850 litres per second and Council is supplementing river water with bore water at a ratio of 50%, says Dave Bassett, Water & Treatment Manager.

“With no rain predicted for the rest of this week, the flow will drop to 750 litres per second and we will be at 100% bore supply in a few days.”=

Demand for water is around 17 million litres a day, so current water conservation efforts are working well, Dave Bassett says.

“We know this is challenging for local people and Council greatly appreciates their efforts over the very dry summer,” he adds.

Construction has begun on Council’s River Recharge Scheme and, once it is operating in 2015, bore water will not be needed to supplement river water in times of drought.

Instead, the scheme will enable groundwater to be put into Waikanae River below the Treatment Plant to maintain river levels and will mean that, unlike the present situation, bore water will not enter water supply.