Saving water in Christchurch

Water restrictions are in force in Christchurch until at least February 2012. They have been imposed because of earthquake damaged water supply systems. This page has some helpful information about how to conserve water in the home and garden.

Water restrictions

Our water: Christchurch City Council information on water supply and the water restrictions.
Water restrictions FAQs: Information from Christchurch City Council on what the water restrictions mean.

The Source

The library subscribes to these online resources so that you can access them for free. You will find information on water conservation in:

Saving water

The following resources will help you find out more about saving water.

Search our BiblioCommons catalogue for:

Websites

Water saving tips: Some useful water saving tips from Christchurch City Council.
How to check for leaks: The biggest source of wasted water is leaks. A Christchurch City Council page on checking for leaks, and checking and reading water meters.
Water conservation: Advice from Christchurch City Council on how to conserve water in your kitchen, bathroom, laundry and outside.
Water: Tips on reducing your water usage from the Smarter Homes website.

Rainwater harvesting

There are plenty of commercial options for rainwater harvesting online or in hardware and gardening stores. You might like to try doing it yourself. Here are a few examples:

Rainwater harvest systems: Information on building a rainwater harvest system from Build it solar: the renewable energy site for do-it-yourselfers.
How to build a rainwater collection system: Find out how to recycle your rainwater with this wikiHow article.
How to build a rainwater collector: A practical demonstation from the instructables website.

Our libraries have books on water reuse and water conservation which contain practical ideas.

Drought gardening

It is a good idea to plant trees and shrubs that can tolerate our climate.