WAI WATER IS IMPORTANT WORDS VICKI RAVLICH-HORAN
Clean running water at the turn of a tap is something we all take for granted. In the Waikato, with the mighty Waikato River running through our region, we may even be a little blasé about it. But water is not an infinite resource: if we waste it, we won’t have it literally ‘on tap’ when we need it. That’s why carefully managing our water and ensuring we have the water reserves we need is so crucial. It’s something we all need to work on together, especially with the ‘new normal’ of warmer summers and less rainfall. It’s an important message which Hamilton City Council would like everyone in our community to remember.
the region, including councils, farms and businesses. In the summer 1,736,640,000 litres of water per day is taken from all the way along the Waikato River and not returned to the river. On average, each person in Hamilton uses approximately 241 litres of water per day. In summer this amount can double. When you add this to the considerably greater amount that goes through power stations (which is used and returned to the river), it shows just how much we rely on the Waikato River for its precious resource. WHO LOOKS AFTER THE RIVER?
WHERE OUR WATER COMES FROM
The regulatory authority in charge of the Waikato River is the Waikato Regional Council. It monitors river flows, groundwater and water quality, and sets the rules determining how much water can be taken and the quality of water you return back to the river.
The Waikato River is the sole source of water for Hamilton; however, it also supplies water to 1,956 other entities throughout
These rules also control damaging activities—those that can result in contaminants entering groundwater, lakes and rivers.
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