RECENT downpours have had no impact on dam levels as water storage continues to diminish around the region.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The dry spell could have Tamworth residents staring down the barrel of level one water restrictions by January, without a significant change in conditions.
Chaffey Dam fell to 47.9 per cent capacity on Thursday, about eight gigalitres above the trigger point for Tamworth Regional Council’s first tier of water restrictions.
READ MORE:
The last time Chaffey was at that level was July 31, 2016.
According to WaterNSW, Chaffey is releasing, on average, 85 megalitres per day to supply Tamworth and small irrigation demand.
While Tamworth recently experienced its wettest 2018 day, a spokesperson for WaterNSW said “recent rainfall had not provided any significant inflows into Chaffey Dam”.
Water sustainability officer Ian Lobban wouldn’t say when council was expecting Chaffey to hit the pivotal 40 per cent mark.
“It’s difficult how much rainfall we are going to get between now and then,” Mr Lobban said.
“We still have eight gigalitres to go, which is a bit of a buffer, so it’s really when and if we don’t get that rainfall, we hit that trigger.”
He said it was important for residents to be conscious of using water responsibly, whatever the dam level.
“We treat water sustainability as important all the time,” he said.
“We do have that upgraded, more secure water supply, but we should always be thinking water sustainability and ways we can be as smart as we can with water, using just enough water to get the job done and no more.”
Meanwhile, dams across the region to continue to fall with Dungowan Dam was listed at 35 per cent, Spilt Rock Dam on 12 per cent and Keepit on eight per cent on Thursday.
Despite the plunge, residents have recorded huge downfalls around the region with Werris Creek rain gauges catching 48 millimetres.
The Gap Road was closed at Werris Creek due to flash flooding on Wednesday, reopening on Thursday.
Locals said the last time the road closed was in September 2016.
Tamworth airport saw 13.2mm, according to the Bureau of Meteorology, while South Tamworth locals reported 25mm with some hail and people at Bithramere had a welcome 33mm.
Jacob McArthur
Jacob McArthur is opinions editor for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. As part of the Canberra Times' production team, he helps the people of Canberra and beyond get the stories they need, when they need them across a range of platforms, while helping maintain a high editorial standard. Before moving to Canberra in 2020, he started with Australian Community Media in 2015 as a journalist for The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he kept a close eye on Tamworth Regional Council. Jacob was also the co-host of ACM's Water Pressure podcast where he and Jamieson Murphy took a deep dive on issues and key decisions arising during one of the region's worst droughts on record.
Jacob McArthur is opinions editor for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. As part of the Canberra Times' production team, he helps the people of Canberra and beyond get the stories they need, when they need them across a range of platforms, while helping maintain a high editorial standard. Before moving to Canberra in 2020, he started with Australian Community Media in 2015 as a journalist for The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he kept a close eye on Tamworth Regional Council. Jacob was also the co-host of ACM's Water Pressure podcast where he and Jamieson Murphy took a deep dive on issues and key decisions arising during one of the region's worst droughts on record.
