Aucklanders are being warned they could face water shortages this summer if the dry spell continues through winter.
Watercare is warning people to have shorter showers, use only hand-held hoses in the garden, and run the dishwasher only when it's full.
People are also being advised to report any leaks they find as soon as possible and to fix any dripping taps or leaking toilets around the home.
Watercare networks manager Mark Bourne says Auckland's dams are currently only 58.8% full, around 10 percentage points lower than the average for this time of year.
Total rainfall in the past three months is the lowest in nearly 100 years of records in the western supply catchments and the third lowest in nearly 50 years in the southern catchments, Bourne says.
While rain is forecast this week, only 10mm is expected to fall which is not enough to stop the decline in dam levels, he adds.
Watercare is maximising output from the Waikato water treatment plant, which is meeting about 20% of the region's water needs - about 75,000,000 litres per day.
This is preventing the water storage lakes from emptying as quickly and is providing valuable additional water until the rainfall returns to normal, Bourne says.
Watercare is following a series of regional drought management triggers.
Over the last week, the first "trigger point" was reached, which is to meet water retailers, such as Metrowater, Manukau Water and other councils, and to seek water reductions through voluntary means.
"If we achieve voluntary water use reductions in the community, it will reduce the likelihood of or delay mandatory restrictions next summer if rainfall continues.
"The level of savings required is currently 4 percent to take consumption back to expected levels," Bourne says.
Stewart Wadey, president of Waikato Federation of Farmers, says the drought situation in the Waikato region is still serious.
"We're getting close to winter and cooler soil temperatures. And there's very little opportunity to grow a lot of pasture before winter.
"We've had showers around the region, between three millilitres and 20 milliltres, and rain is certainly forecast.
"Once the rain comes, we've got to try and grow as much pasture on our farms as we can. How we do that will be at a cost. It is that cost, with stress to cash flows right now, and with banks reluctant to lend too much credit, that's causing a bigger challenge.
"We'll have to work through that to make sure we don't develop any animal welfare issues. When you've got no grass on your farm you've got to feed them something. There is plenty of commercial feed available but certainly how to fund that is a challenge," he said.
Last week, the government extended drought relief to a further four regions - Bay of Plenty, South Taranaki and parts of South Canterbury and Otago.
Agriculture Minister David Carter says that with significant parts of both islands now in drought, many farmers are heading for a tough winter.
Farmers in drought zones get tax assistance under the Income Equalisation Scheme, farm management advice, welfare support and funding for Rural Support Trusts.
On April 8, the government declared medium-level drought conditions in the Waikato, Rodney, Papakura and Manukau districts, which triggered relief measures for farmers. Drought was declared in Northland in late January.
TVNZ
