Water restrictions

UPDATED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025

Water Restriction Level 1 is now in effect across the whole Wellington region.

This happens automatically every year with daylight savings, when warmer weather generally leads to higher water use.

At Water Restriction Level 1, you can use sprinklers or irrigation systems every second day, between 6-8am and 7-9pm.

Learn more about water restriction levels here: https://www.wellingtonwater.co.nz/.../water-restrictions/

For water saving tips, please visit: www.watcheverydrop.nz

We encourage you to find ways to use less water in your gardens during dry periods.  You can do this by using mulch, watering your plants and trees only when necessary, and installing a trigger spray on your hose.

Tips to save water:

• Use mulch to keep soil moist.
  
• Only water your garden when absolutely necessary during cooler times of the day – early morning or late evening. 
  
• Collect water from your shower for watering your garden.
  
• Let your lawn die off, it will come back.

Parks:

• The Parks and City Services team turn off garden bed irrigation, and minimise any sportsfield and nursery irrigation.
  
  
• We’ll still need to water Porirua Park, Endeavour and Adventure Park, plus keep our plants alive at the nursery. The cost to replace these sportsfield surfaces and plants would be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
  
  
• We will be smart when we water, only use the bare minimum and also utilise the water tanks at the nursery for the plants.

Splash Pad:

• The Splash Pad uses recirculated, filtered water. We may look to reduce operating hours during longer-term dry periods.

Infrastructure:

• Wellington Water is working hard to fix leaks, based on priority and how much water they’re losing.

Water use in Porirua City is managed under the Porirua City Council General Bylaw 1991 Part 17 - Water Supply.

The Bylaw applies at all times throughout the year and is enforced particularly during summer and prolonged dry seasons.

Water restrictions are publicly notified in community and regional newspapers, local radio and television as appropriate in each case.