The Waikato River is creeping up to a level that will threaten about 30 Hamilton homes, Civil Defence said today.
Information manager Sarah Bettle told NZPA the river had crept up to 15.2m and if it reached 16m there was a risk homes in Anne Street and Awatere Avenue would be flooded.
Ms Bettle said all riverside walkways had been submerged.
Waikato Stadium had been put on standby in case of any evacuations, she said.
The high river level was due to water being released to relieve pressure on Lake Karapiro.
Ms Bettle said it was a controlled release of water by Mighty River Power.
"They're monitoring it really closely."
The release from Lake Karapiro was due to high water levels at Lake Taupo, with more rain expected tomorrow.
"They're doing it as an early precautionary measure because they know there's going to be a lot of build up further down the system," Ms Bettle said.
She said Lake Taupo was at a maximum water level now.
