The plunging water level at Chaffey Dam, the city’s main water source, has tripped the new Level 2 water rules, which means all sprinklers and fixed hoses are banned from April 2.

Domestic, commercial and industrial users in the Tamworth, Moonbi and Kootingal areas will be restricted to only using hand-held hoses outside the home for two hours a day under the new rules.

The fact that Chaffey fell to 40.2 per cent early on Thursday, with expectations that it will drop to the new trigger point of 40 per cent of capacity either Friday or Saturday, has prompted the changes.

The Moonbi and Kootingal water rules automatically align with Tamworth at the moment, because the two villages are drawing their water out of the Tamworth system. 

TRC water sustainability officer Ian Lobban yesterday said the unseasonally warm weather in March meant there had been less reduction in the amount of water use than usual for this time of year.

“It is out of the ordinary for the local area to have had so many days in March with temperatures of above 30 degrees Celsius – this has meant residents have been watering their gardens more in recent weeks and our water use volumes have not reduced as they usually do,” he said.

“The demand from Peel Valley irrigators has also continued strongly.

“Over Easter, for example, the water level at Chaffey Dam has been dropping by about 0.2 per cent each day.” 

Tamworth consumption has been consistently around 34 megalitres a day for March, with some figures showing the city had consumed up to 41 megalitres in the past two months.

Daylight saving also throws a spanner in the works for Saturday - under the TRC water plan you can only water outside using a hand held hose between 6pm and 8pm - but from Sunday the watering hours are actually between 5pm and 7pm.