A RISE in the river has come at the right time for Tamworth, after a busted pipeline put a hole in council's water sourcing plan.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The ageing structure carries the precious resource from Dungowan Dam to town, but sprang a leak on Monday.
Tamworth, Moonbi and Kootingal residents had been drinking water drawn from Dungowan Dam, while Chaffey is given a chance to regenerate.
Tamworth Regional Council (TRC) water and waste director Bruce Logan said heavy rainfall during the past week or so had bolstered the level of the river and allowed council to pump town water from the Peel again.
"There's more water flowing in the Peel now and down the tributaries, so we've gone back to sourcing the water from the Peel River and we're not releasing any from Chaffey Dam for that," Mr Logan said.
READ ALSO:
"We closed down the Dungowan pipeline and we'll effect those repairs."
The sensitivity of an old structure like the pipeline means it's unknown when it will come back online, but work has already started on fixing the break.
Water can still be sourced from Chaffey Dam, if needed.
For now, residents will keep using water pumped from the river, and soon they will be able to use a little bit more.
Bucket loads of the wet stuff fell from cloudy skies during a few days of wild weather recently, meaning Chaffey Dam crept past 30 per cent capacity.
TRC confirmed Level 3 water restrictions would be introduced for Tamworth, Kootingal and Moonbi users from Monday, November 2.
Although TRC hasn't sourced town water from Chaffey Dam in months, its storage level triggers water restrictions.
Mr Logan said the changes are in line with the drought management plan.
"We have a plan and that plan says we tighten restrictions as the storage dictates and we should not be afraid to relax restrictions as the storage dictates," he said.
"Just because we relax restrictions, does not mean we should not conserve water at all times."
And council won't be taking the pressure off either - TRC has been vocal in calling for changes to the way water and supplies are managed by the state government.
"We will continue to pressure the government to change the water sharing plans and the management of Chaffey and the new Dungowan Dam and the new Dungowan pipeline, we think they're all integral in securing supply," he said.
Chaffey Dam is now at 30.5 per cent, and the trigger for Level 2 restrictions is 35 per cent.
Police and crime reporter at the Newcastle Herald.
Police and crime reporter at the Newcastle Herald.
