Wednesday 27 January 2010
Falling river flows and skyrocketing demand have combined to see the introduction of tougher buckets-only-outdoors water restrictions at Barraba again from Saturday.
The tough new water rules will basically reduce outdoor household use to buckets only with the slump back to Level 3 restrictions.
Water Enterprises Director Bruce Logan says the new rules come into force in the wake of continued falling creek and river flows that feed the town’s water supply and increasing demand for water beyond sustainable levels.
From Saturday all outdoor hoses and sprinklers are banned and buckets or cans can only be used to water gardens or wash vehicles and only from 6:00pm to 8:00pm during daylight saving. Elderly or infirm people can apply to Council for special exemptions that allow a hand held hose for 15 minutes on Wednesdays and Sundays.
Tamworth Regional Council says the combination of falling flows in the Barraba Creek and Manilla River, the low level of Connors Creek Day and the fact there is no inflow into the dam, and climbing demand and consumption has tipped the town supply into the new water level which triggers a change in use.
Mr Logan said Barraba Creek flow is at 150 kilolitres a day and Manilla River at 230 kilolitres with the dam at 30% capacity and with an outbreak of blue green algae which prevents water treatment.
He said demand at Barraba over the past three days has been 819 kilolitres, 779 kilolitres and 912 kilolitres respectively.
The emergency bores are supplying 400 kilolitres a day and the balance so far has been provided by one or both of the river and creek supplies but this could not last if the current weather patterns persisted and flows in the two streams continue to decline.
He said the rules would jump two levels simply because the rate of deterioration in flows was so rapid that if we introduced level 2 it would probably only last for a few days before the level 3 triggers would be reached.