Help us save water

It’s been a dry spring so far, and even though we are a long way off mid-summer, we need to start conserving water now to prevent restrictions later on.

 Visit nelson.govt.nz/water-conservation for ideas about how to reduce water use in your home.

One way you can conserve water and  help to look after our rivers and streams is to harvest rainwater during wet weather and store it for household use. 

There’s still time to set up a very simple rainwater barrel system that you can use to water your garden over summer, or you can go for a larger filtered system that will allow you to use rainwater for household purposes.

By storing rainwater for domestic use you’ll be reducing the water take from our rivers during the drier months ahead, and acting as a buffer against flooding during heavy rain events. Plus, it is a great back up supply for a
civil defence emergency

Council has published a guide to rainwater harvesting which you can download from our website at nelson.govt.nz/water-conservation or pick up a copy from Council’s customer service centre.

How much water do you use?

As part of our Healthy Streams freshwater improvement programme, we’re asking people to take part in a short survey to help us understand how domestic water is being used in our community. 

By taking part, you’ll go in the draw to win either a Marley Twist rainwater diverter for collecting rainwater from your roof or an outdoor tap timer, which helps prevent you leaving the garden sprinkler on overnight!

You can take the survey on line at nelson.govt.nz/water-survey or pick up a copy from Council’s libraries or customer service centre.