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Christchurch’s rivers are the lowest they’ve been in several decades, records show. Several of the city’s waterways dried up earlier this year, upsetting residents. Months later, some streams remain low and will likely dry up again next year if rain does not arrive. Environment Canterbury’s (ECan) Christchurch-West Melton zone committee met with the Christchurch City Council on Tuesday to give a monthly report on its work in greater Christchurch. Recordings from the headwaters of the Avon, Heathcote and Styx rivers showed they were at their lowest levels in 20 to 30 years, the committee said. Tributaries such as the Waimairi and Wai-Iti streams near Fendalton dried up completely earlier...

Harvesting rainwater has long been the norm in rural areas that reticulated water doesn’t reach, yet it’s still not common in New Zealand’s urban areas. We lag far behind Australia, where drought and pressure on water supply are motivating changes in household water use and government subsidies for rainwater collection. More than half of Adelaide households have rainwater tanks for example. There’s a lot to consider about how you harvest rainwater. But for urban households already connected to reticulated water, first you need to consider why you might do that. Water security Your family needs water to survive an emergency....