Tamworth council to consider major changes to drought plan

Council's efforts to review the plans were delayed by uncertainty surrounding the Dungowan Dam project, which was recently sent down the drain.

A draft proposal has been put before council at its meeting on Tuesday, June 6, to get the green light to go out to the community.

One of the biggest changes in the draft plans is making some of the community drought guidelines permanent, a move the report says will "ensure common sense water use practices continue to be adopted by the community".

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The drought guidelines to be made permanent include: only watering gardens before 10am or after 4pm; using trigger nozzles on all handheld hoses; and to avoid hosing down hard surfaces, such as concrete, paths and driveways.

The proposal says making these guidelines permanent will help strengthen council's Demand Management Plan, which the report credits for cutting household water usage by 20 per cent since 2007.

Another reason for the change is to simplify council's Drought Management Plan, focusing it solely on Level 1 to Level 5 water restrictions and when they should be enforced.

The proposal also suggests redefining 'heat of the day' to mean the hours of 10am to 4pm, allowing at least one more hour of water usage regardless of the season.

Previously 'heat of the day' was defined as between 8am and 6pm during daylight saving and 9am and 4pm at all other times.

The draft Demand Management Plan would also commit council to regular reviews of its own water efficiency practices, as Tamworth council is one of the region's largest water users.

The draft plan also says Tamworth's new smart water meters, which are already detecting leaks, will be used to improve compliance with water restrictions.

As for Tamworth's long-term water security, the proposal says council is preparing a long-term Water Security Plan and "continues to investigate commercial and industrial water recycling projects, including the proposed Tamworth Water Purification Facility".

Other initiatives the report recommends council investigate include: stormwater recycling; improving the efficiency of evaporative coolers; adding to the 29 water efficiency rebates available to businesses and households; demonstrating water-saving projects to improve community awareness; using smart meter data to better design programs that maximise water savings; and other innovations and emergency technologies.

The draft water management plans will need the sign-off from a majority of councillors at Tuesday night's fortnightly meeting.

If approved, the draft water management plans will then go on public exhibition for a minimum of 28 days, giving the community a chance to submit amendments and feedback.

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