Level 5 Water Restrictions will be implemented in Mount Morgan from December 1, following the news that the No. 7 Dam has fallen to 15% capacity.
Water Councillor Donna Kirkland said 15% was the trigger for Level 5 restrictions under Council’s Drought Management Plan.
“The Mount Morgan community have been doing incredibly well – they are easily the most waterwise community in our whole region,” said Cr Kirkland.
“In October for example, residents averaged just 0.91ML per day which is lower than the target of 1ML per day for Level 5 restrictions.
“Unfortunately we have seen lots more hot and dry weather, meaning the dam level has reduced even further and with summer arriving soon these conditions are expected to worsen.
“The Level 5 restrictions mean hoses can no longer be used for private gardens: buckets and watering cans should be used between 7am and 8am or 5pm and 6pm instead. Car washing is also prohibited.
“The target is for the community to use no more than 1ML of water per day which was achieved in October, but the weather is warming up now and we would normally see a rise in water usage to go with that.
“It is worth noting that these restrictions only apply to potable water, so you’ll still see Council carrying out work with recycled water.”
Divisional Councillor Cherie Rutherford said Council would not leave residents without water.
“By implementing these restrictions there is approximately 9 months’ worth of water left in the dam, and if the situation gets significantly worse we can transport water from Gracemere up to Mount Morgan,” said Cr Rutherford.
“However, everything we can do – especially as the weather warms up – to keep our usage down is important. Short showers, cold water in the fridge so you don’t run the tap waiting for it to cool, using recycled greywater in the garden: all these things will help us keep that number low.”
