Drought plan activated but water restrictions unlikely

While restrictions aren't in place, the ongoing dry weather has tipped Auckland’s total dam storage level just below the ‘preparing for a drought’ level in our Drought Management Plan. In fact, it's the first time since August 2021 that our dam levels have dipped below 70 per cent.

In terms of water use, over summer 24/25 Aucklanders used about 905 million litres less water than the previous summer, which is brilliant! Now, we just need everyone to keep going for a little longer.

Two snaps, one story

Our dams in the Waitākere Ranges, like Upper Nihotupu on the left, have had half their normal rainfall since the start of summer, so their banks are on show. Add to that, these dams are smaller than those in the Hūnua Ranges, so their levels fluctuate much more dramatically – they drop down quickly, but also replenish quickly. Speaking of the Hūnua Ranges, dams like Upper Mangatāwhiri on the right, have had approximately 20 per cent less rainfall than normal over the same time, so they don’t look as worse for wear. Now, combining all the dams to get a total water storage is where you get the full story. Total storage has dipped below where it’d normally be for this time of year.