The Upper Hutt mayor says they've been let down as water usage is set to tighten.

The Wellington metropolitan area —that's Wellington, Porirua, Hutt and Upper Hutt cities— will move to level two water restrictions first thing Wednesday.

The ban applies to all irrigation systems, soaker hoses, and unattended watering systems.

Upper Hutt Mayor Wayne Guppy told Tim Dower that they've been talking about a solution for 15 years.

He says with their population growth, the region knew they needed to be looking for another source, which had already been planned, but it didn't eventuate.

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