Falls Dam is almost empty for the first time since 1999 and many users across the Manuherikia catchment are moving to 25 per cent restrictions this week.

Scheme flows were very low at 25 per cent and for farmers this was almost the equivalent of just delivering stock-water.

Falls Dam operations manager Roger Williams said this week had been the most challenging of his 35-year career, but he wasn’t losing any sleep over it yet.

“We’ve had water restrictions on average every second year, but none of them with this kind of seriousness,” he said.

When the storage dam got below 50 per cent then it started putting a lot of pressure on, and it had been that way since the beginning of the year.

“If we didn’t have restrictions and just poured the dam out, you might wait three months for it to properly fill again.”

Capacity at Falls Dam was at 4 per cent at the weekend, and on Monday it was down to just 1 per cent.  At the start of last week it was at 11 per cent.

The Otago Regional Council was keeping a close eye on the situation, and was cautioning farmers and rural communities to consider conserving water in the weeks ahead. 

It hasn’t ruled out further restrictions.

“We’re encouraging farmers to make plans and take action early with regards to stock feed and to reach out early for support and advice,” manager of science Tom Dyer said.

Consent holders and catchment groups were doing a good job, which has so far avoided the need for the council to consider introducing water shortage directions.

Both the Taieri and Manuherekia rivers were at low levels and were still being used for irrigation with users managing flows with combined storage and restrictions to achieve their respective minimum flow regimes.

Otago regional councillor Gary Kelliher, who also farms in the catchment, said this was an extreme season and drought was something he was always ready for, “and that’s why the scheme is so fragile.”

“We’re always just one rain away . . . it can be quite a forgiving catchment and at the end of the day the rain saves you. But, it’s incredibly challenging to farm through this,” he said.

The 90-year-old dam at the head of the catchment needed rebuilt to hold more capacity, and it was hoped the new National Government would make this a priority.