Water conservation is essential if repairs to the Cambridge Road reservoirs' supply line are to be completed before the city's western suburbs run out of water.
Repairs to the water main that ruptured on Wednesday evening are now expected to be completed by noon Saturday – by which time the water supply to Bethlehem, Brookfield, Otumoetai and Matua could be marginal. The reservoir levels were at 35 per cent by mid morning, and are expected to drop further.

See video below with water engineer Kelvin Webber.

'We lost 20 per cent from yesterday to today,” says City Water supply manager Peter Bahrs. 'If we lose another 20 per cent today, it is getting pretty critical for us.”
The reservoirs are still receiving some water from the original supply line, but at only half the rate needed for normal consumption.
'We can manage with the supply provided we don't get any huge demands,” says Peter. 'Any saving people can make, makes a huge difference to allowing us to hang in there a bit longer. Not watering the garden and that type of thing can have a big impact on water use.”
With the influx of visitors expected for the long weekend, Peter says city council is going to be placing roadside signs up to alert new arrivals.

Peter Bahrs.

Water Engineer (systems assets) Kelvin Webber says the repair will be made by inserting welded plastic pipe sections into the main that failed and welding a new elbow to replace the PVC pipe that ruptured.
It means the repair can be completed quicker.
'There will be a slight reduction in flow, but what that is at this moment I can't tell you,” says Kelvin.
Investigations into the cause of the break are ongoing.

The mass of pipes being used in the temporary fix.

Peter says they are grateful Chadwick Road resident Bruno Weidmann saw the break and called it in when he did late on Wednesday afternoon.
'It saved us a lot of time and effort,” says Peter. 'The wash out would have been so much worse.”