TAMWORTH council is looking at developing an emergency water supply contingency plan, with supplies in the region still under stress.
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The council will consider pledging $100,000 from its water budget to create a plan which would identify emergency supplies for the city, and Moonbi-Kootingal, should the drought worsen.
The council's water director, Bruce Logan, has already flagged more austere measures would be introduced if Chaffey Dam fell below 10 per cent capacity.
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Residents will be encouraged to use less than 100 litres of water per day; 50 litres less than the current recommendation.
On Tuesday morning, Chaffey Dam was sitting at 13.4 per cent capacity.
Should the councillors endorse the $100,000 emergency water supply plan staff will investigate potential alternative supplies, ways to reduce personal and business use and a supplementary carting option.
"Council needs to start considering further drought contingency and emergency supply measures on both supply and demand to ensure Tamworth, Moonbi and Kootingal do not run out of water," sustainability coordinator Tracey Carr wrote in her report to council.
"Depending on the options identified, it may be necessary for planning for emergency supply measures to commence in the near future to ensure there is sufficient time to implement measures identified."
Chaffey's capacity has only fallen by 0.3 per cent since the start of the year. It was boosted significantly by heavy rains in the catchment in January.
The council has previously endorsed drought management and water restrictions communications plans.
However, the new document would guide the council through the worst of the drought and help "avoid the prospect of Tamworth and Moonbi-Kootingal running out of water".
"[The marketing] plan only looks at communication and messaging not actual measures that could be implemented on the demand and/or supply side," the report said.
The council will also vote to pour more funding into its water restrictions marketing plan.
A $173,640 boost has been floated to keep advertising and messaging on water conservation going for another six months.
Good flows have returned to the Macdonald, Namoi and Peel Rivers, but the council will monitor the situation before relaxing restrictions in Bendemeer, Manilla or Nundle.
Split Rock is approaching one per cent after starting the year at 0.84 per cent.