Gisborne residents have responded well to water restrictions, however further measures may still be needed, Gisborne District Council says.
Voluntary restrictions were put in place in December, with the council last week restricting the use of sprinklers to four hours a day.
Utilities asset manager Kevin Strongman says usage has dropped 15%.
Further restrictions may still be necessary, he says, because dams are only 61% full compared with 85% this time last year, and were at their lowest for February since 1999.
Mr Strongman says the next step will be to restrict sprinkler use to two hours a day, three days a week.
