* New $3.85m Renwick water plant in the pipeline * Social media helps turn taps off * Worries rise to the surface as meter proposal extended in Marlborough Renwick has faced water restrictions for years, with past advice encouraging odd-numbered houses to water their gardens on odd-numbered days, and even-numbered houses on even-numbered days.
His garden was also watered at night by hand to help offset evaporation, which occurred more during the day, he said.
Councillor Cynthia Brooks, who lived in Renwick, said she saved water by having short showers, avoiding baths, and "flushing the loo only when needed".
Long-time Renwick resident Lois Johnson agreed, saying a water restriction was "not a big surprise" considering Renwick’s history of water conservation.
Kersey said he was "conscious of the water issue" and restrained from turning on his sprinkler during the day, and instead opted to water the garden for 30 minutes at 9pm.
He said the council would have to reduce the volume of water being taken from wells if levels dipped to between 1000mm and 800mm.
"At present, the daily bore water level drops about 100mm a day, so towards the end of this week I expect we will have to reduce what we take from the bores," he said.
"When we reduce what we take from the bores, we need a corresponding reduction in peak demand.
"If people can reduce their water use now, we can avoid water restrictions later."
Construction on its new reservoir on the outskirts of town was set to kick off in the coming months, and would be followed by a new water treatment plant down the track.