Central Hawke’s Bay District Council chief executive Doug Tate said the decision was not made lightly, but one made in the best interests of the Kairakau community.
“It became a necessary move due to the inability to extract enough water from the bore and the spring – the water sources for Kairakau.”
Currently, due to the lack of water, the bore is only able to draw approximately a tenth of its consented take.
“At that rate, it would take almost three days to refill the reservoir.”
Tate said the council was exploring any other underlying causes, with the current dry conditions expected to be the main contributor.
“We’re having to use tankers to maintain the supply, until the issue is resolved. That’s why we’re having to take such urgent action and implement Level 4 restrictions.”