Auckland facing water restrictions as city's dams running dangerously low

May 2, 2020

Sinking water levels have seen a rail track from the 1920s emerge.

There are pleas for Aucklanders to be conscious over their water use, as demand continues to rise in Covid-19 lockdown.

The combined capacity of Auckland's dams currently sits at 46 per cent, below the 50 per cent threshold required to introduce mandatory restrictions - which could come into effect later this month.

On the final day of Alert Level 4, Aucklanders used 426 million litres of water, yesterday that number was 443 million, and is expected to rise further as more businesses return.

West Auckland's parched water reservoirs' running so low that a piece of history unearthed by the drought like conditions.

"What we're seeing here, which would normally be 6 metres underwater is a rail track which was used for the construction of the Upper Huia dam," Joseph Chaloner-Warman, Watercare environmental assets manager tells 1 NEWS.

"Upper Huia dam was built in the 1920s. It's been a real novelty for us to have a bit of a look."

While the re-emergence of the tracks are fascinating from a historical perspective, it reveals a much bigger problem: Auckland's dams are running scarily low, with the Lower Huia dam at just 37 per cent capacity.

Dwindling water supply's been a problem pushed down many people's priority list, but Auckland's had just a third of its normal rainfall in April.

And with businesses returning at Alert Level 3, consumption increases has seen Auckland creeping towards mandatory restrictions.

"If we can do whatever we can to reduce our demand, those little sacrifices will pay dividends," Watercare chief executive Raveen Jaduram tells 1 NEWS.

"The country banded together to manage Covid," Mr Chaloner-Warman adds.

"If a city like Auckland can come together to reduce water consumption, it's a similar mindset I think: Everyone doing their bit."

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