We monitor and manage the taking of water from the region’s rivers, streams, lakes and aquifers, to ensure that water is used efficiently and that our waterways are well cared-for.
Climate change is bringing hotter, drier summers to our region, and our natural water sources are already showing signs of stress. Flow levels in some western Bay of Plenty streams dropped to record lows in March – May 2020, following several months of exceptionally dry weather.
We all need to forward-plan and reduce water use where we can, to keep our local waterways, wildlife, and people’s lives and livelihoods healthy, now and in the future.
Regional plan rules and consent conditions are in place to keep waterways healthy under usual weather conditions.
In exceptional circumstances, regional councils can also put temporary extra water use restrictions in place where needed to protect waterways from environmental harm. These take the form of a Water Shortage Direction (WSD) under s.329 of the Resource Management Act.
Streams with their headwaters originating near Rotorua have had steadily dropping flows over recent months. For example, the Ngongotahā Stream has reached its lowest ever recorded flow since monitoring started in 1975.
The drop in flows is likely to be caused by a combination of geology in the area coupled with low rainfall in the region over the last two years. Groundwater in the Rotorua geothermal field has also shown signs of dropping levels.
On 12 January 2021 Council determined that a focus zone (shown in the map) be moved to Level 2 of Council’s operating procedure. This means additional analysis and reporting will be undertaken for streams in the zone, and should be an early indication that possible water restrictions could be imposed if stream flows continue to drop. Increased communication with consent holders and key stakeholders will also occur.
Monthly assessments of stream and groundwater resources will continue.
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Normal water availabilityLow rainfall, stream flows and soil moisture dropping
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Impending water shortageReduced stream flows and groundwater levels
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Water shortage eventDrought conditions, risk to waterway health
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Situation reports for the 2020/2021 season:
On 12 March 2020, the Government declared a large-scale adverse drought event affecting all of the North Island, including Bay of Plenty.
Assistance is available for farmers and growers who are affected by the drought through their industry networks, as well as:
We’re working with MPI, Rural Support Trust and local industry representatives through the Bay of Plenty Primary Sector Co-ordination Group to support a co-ordinated regional drought response.
Whether your water comes from a bore, stream or town supply, we can all take steps to reduce water use. Here’s some links to help get you started:
If you’re concerned about illegal water use, unusually low stream flows, or if your bore has dried up, please let us know by calling our 0800 884 883 Pollution Hotline.
You will need to apply for a resource consent if you want to take water for any purpose other than for reasonable domestic household or stock drinking use, if:
You can enquire online or give our Duty Consents Officer a call on 0800 884 881 extn. 9090 to check if your water use requires a consent. Find out more on our water take consents web page or by emailing consents.queries@boprc.govt.nz.
All consent holders that take more than five litres of water per second, and most new consent holders taking at a rate less than this, are required to accurately measure and report on their actual water use. In most cases, this means that the water meter information will be required to be telemetered to Council. See our water metering web page for details.
See our interactive map of current resource consents for details of all water-use and other resource consents issued by Bay of Plenty Regional Council.
We collect real-time rainfall, river level, stream flow and soil moisture data from more than 100 monitoring sites throughout the region. Check out the map links below for:
See our Environmental Data Portal to access more environmental monitoring information for your particular area.
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Bay of Plenty Regional Council are implementing Level 2 of the Water Shortage Event Standard Operating Procedure for some streams with headwaters in the west-southwest of Rotorua. Read more.
The recent wet weather has seen a respite to the dry in the Bay of Plenty - but not enough to lift dry weather warnings yet.
Rainfall recorded since the start of November has exceeded what was recorded for the whole of October and has provided some temporary respite in the soil moisture levels and low river flows across the region. Read more.
As you would have seen, our region has experienced an exceptionally dry period over the last 12 months. In fact, although there has been some rain, the region has only received 60-80 per cent of our usual rainfall so far this year. The result of the dry weather is that the levels in many of our awa, especially in the Western Bay, are very low. Read more.
On the back of one of our worst ever recorded droughts, Bay of Plenty Regional Council is asking water users to start thinking about and planning their water use to be better prepared this summer. Read more.
Recent rain and cooler temperatures have eased immediate concerns about Bay of Plenty’s low stream flow levels, but Bay of Plenty Regional Council staff are warning water users to plan ahead now for next summer. NIWA are forecasting another dry winter this year, which may leave us going into our next summer on the back foot with stream flows that are lower than normal. Local businesses that rely on water, should take steps as soon as possible to increase their business resilience and mitigate the risk of future water shortages. Read more.
As the dry weather continues, Bay of Plenty Regional Council is asking people to make every effort to reduce water use – especially those in the rural sectors. Read more
Bay of Plenty Regional Council is putting extra preparations in place to ensure the region’s waterways are well cared for if this summer’s dry weather continues. Read more
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