The dry summer weather has some in Auckland's outer east clamouring for a main water line.
Water tap running. Photo: 123RF
Beachlands' residents are reliant on water tanks and because people are pouring in as new developments are built, water orders are backing up.
Resident Melanie Butzbach has had plenty of practice conserving water, however, she has had to tighten the belt even further this summer.
Mrs Butzbach said those new to the town are panicking and locals are getting frustrated.
"I've heard a lot of people complain to be honest.
"I have heard the sewage line years ago, people don't understand why the mains weren't done at the same time."
Mrs Butzbach said communities along the Pohutukawa Coast felt forgotten.
"We are a part of Auckland and I do find that they kind of think we're a little community but we're growing rapidly, and it covers everything.
"It covers the water, it covers the schooling ... you got to start somewhere so maybe the water mains is a good way to bring us into what Auckland city is like."
Other residents said the area was great for family living but they were desperate for town supply.
Chris Julian is the owner of the water tank company, Rural Waters. He has been flat out making water deliveries for the past two weeks.
He covers the south Auckland area and has had to turn down dozens of requests for water every day.
Mr Julian said plenty of those calls come from the Beachlands and Maraetai area.
"Their waiting list gets quite long, they ring around everyone.
"You get people ringing up crying because they've got kids at home and they've got no water and they can't get water for ten days."
He is backed up with orders until next Wednesday and delays are likely because of more dry weather.
But Watercare said there were no plans for a main town supply to Beachlands.
Its network planning manager Andre Stuart said while the community was growing, it was just too expensive to install.
"It's roughly 17 kilometres back to the metropolitan network which is quite expensive, it will be in the order of $30 to 40 million to build."
But Andre Stuart said Watercare would consider works in Beachlands if housing developers offered to work together.
"Where there's demand and where there's the willingness to make the investment between developers and Watercare, then there's an opportunity.".
Mr Stuart said there has been talks with the community in the past about a main water line.
