Glen Innes Severn Council is reducing water restrictions for the town of Glen Innes from level 4 to level 3, effective from today, April 17. Glen Innes has been on level 4 restrictions for 99 days since January 8.
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Council’s Integrated Water and Sustainability Services manager Keith Appleby said that council is lifting the water restrictions due to recent rainfall in the catchment area.
“Over the past two weeks we have seen good inflows into the Beardy Weir, due to significant rainfall in the Beardy River upper catchment,” he said.
“This has resulted in the weir reaching 195mm below the crest and continuing to rise slowly.”
Mr Appleby said that while it would be comforting to see continued rainfall, the current water levels would be reasonably adequate to see the community through to the catchment area’s typically higher rainfall periods in early spring, and urged residents to be responsible in their water usage as restrictions relax.
General manager Hein Basson said that during this drought event the Glen Innes Aggregates off-stream storage has proved to be a huge success, with the temporary first stage still holding 175 megalitres after the extended dry period (down from 200 megalitres).
At the current consumption rate of 1.2 megalitres per day, that equates to 145 days supply after the Beardy Weir is exhausted.
In the period from January to March the Beardy Weir lost 192 megalitres in evaporation, and the town used 101 megalitres. In comparison the off-stream storage remained at 800mm below top water level and lost just 21 megalitres in evaporation, plus four megalitres due to a minor leak that occurs only when the pit is nearly full.
Mayor Colin Price said that the dry period that Glen Innes is currently experiencing has reinforced the need to have a water supply that is well beyond the potential effect of drought. It is proposed that the quarry’s northern pit be brought on-line for water storage when the Beardy Waters is again flowing.
Cr Price thanked the public for its co-operation during the water restrictions and commended Glen Innes residents for the low consumption rate of water since the day restrictions were announced.
Level 3 restrictions allow watering with a hand-held hose for two hours a day from 4pm to 6pm. Other restrictions are as for level 4, so sprinklers are banned and cars are to be washed using bucketed water.