Dunedin City Council water production manager Gerard McCombie said the reservoir had lowered significantly during the past week because water from Deep Stream, which was used to supply Dunedin's drinking water, had been muddied by the recent heavy rain.
"When that happens, we divert the water from Deep Stream away. Normally, we take the water straight out of the pipeline from Deep Stream. But when we can't do that, we draw water from the reservoir until water from the stream is clear again.
"Depending on demand, the water in the reservoir can last up to 16 days," he said.
Mr McCombie also said the water from Deep Stream had cleared enough to use for the city's water supply.
Any excess would be used to refill the Mt Grand reservoir.
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