After eight months of drought rules, Auckland finally relaxed water restrictions, but as New Zealand heads into another La Niña summer, other cities can expect serious water shortages both now and in the future. Although this summer’s projected rainfall should keep Auckland’s water supply levels sustainable in the short term, Wellington could be running dry within the next six years.
For both cities, addressing the gap in water supply and demand is an immediate and ongoing problem. Growing populations and increasingly variable climate conditions, combined with ageing infrastructure, mean local authorities will have to think about how they can either increase supply or change patterns of consumption.
You can read the full article, published in The Conversation here
Authors: Julia Talbot-Jones, lecturer at the Victoria University of Wellington, Sophie O’Brien, research analyst at Motu Economic and Public Policy Research and Suzie Greenhalgh, portfolio leader at Landcare Research.
