The Whakatane River flow has steadily fallen this week, dropping from 18 cubic metres per second on Monday to about 11 cubic metres per second on Thursday.

The Whakatane District Council warns that reduced flow rate means salinity is again an issue at the Whakatane Water Treatment Station intake, with water now being drawn from the emergency intake one kilometre upstream.

Flow in the Whakatane River has dropped this week.

'If the flow falls below 10 cubic metres per second, it's likely that restrictions on the use of hoses and sprinklers will be introduced for Whakatane and Ohope consumers,” the council says on its Facebook page.

'Water consumption in Whakatane and Ohope has averaged about 6350 cubic metres a day since Monday, which has allowed reservoir storage to be maintained at a comfortable level. Consumers are asked to continue their voluntary conservation efforts until further notice.”