Sanson’s water supply restrictions

Sanson residents are being requested to conserve water by the Manawatu District Council for at least another week.

Water Manager, Wayne Spencer, said the town’s intake pump on Ngaio Rd was inoperative because of dropping levels in the Rangitikei River and this was impacting on the town’s normal water supply.

He said water was being trucked from Feilding to meet Sanson’s requirements and a water tanker was stationed at the Shell Garage for residents needing extra supplies.

“The water level in the river has dropped below the bore and we are unable to pump any water out of the river into the town’s system,” he said.

Mr Spencer said negotiations were underway with a well driller to deepen the bore and once that work started it would take about a week to complete.

“We are currently meeting the town’s requirements by trucking in water to the reservoirs, but the more the town can conserve water, the less water that needs to be trucked.”

He urged people to “hold back” on watering their gardens or washing their car and to only use the available water for household essentials.

“Nobody in Sanson should be without water, unless there has been a hiccup like an airlock in the system that restricts the normal flow of water.”

He said the 200 consumers on the Sanson water system were on a restricted supply, which meant that the water flowed into tanks on their properties and ensured on-site storage.

Mr Spencer said the water tanker would remain at the Shell Garage throughout the day and night, except when refilling at Feilding. Residents needed to take their own containers suitable for holding water and to fill the containers themselves.