Water is essential for our community to thrive. Tamworth Regional Council is developing a water security plan to ensure we have a water system that meets the needs of our growing community.

We have investigated a range of resilient water options and there is now a filtered list of options being considered for inclusion in the Tamworth Water Security Plan (TWSP). Options being considered have been grouped into four categories; surface water, groundwater, water recycling and water efficiency and we are keen to hear your feedback about them.

Surface water options

• Chaffey Dam operations
• Connect our supply to Namoi Valley dams
• Off-river storage near Tamworth

Recycled water options

• For non-drinking end uses such and industrial and commercial use, toilet flushing and irrigation
• Purified recycled water for drinking

Groundwater options

• From the Peel Valley
• From other regions

Water efficiency

• Continuing positive water behaviour

We have been out and about talking water with information stalls at Fiesta La Peel and Peel Street Markets as well as pop up stalls at Moonbi General Store, Kootingal Library, Tamworth Library and The Youthie. We have spoken with around 500 people at the different activities about how the Tamworth Water Security Plan is progressing and the shortlist of options being considered.

⏰ There's still time to get involved:

• Provide feedback: engage with the interactive activities below
• Read fact sheets: check out the document library to find out more about the different options
• Submit your big idea: participate in the drawing competition by showcasing your creativity

This is the second phase of engagement for the Tamworth Water Security Plan and feedback can be provided until Sunday 17 November.

Our current system

Our water supply is currently dependent on the weather. During periods of average rainfall our water system works well, however during periods of extended drought our system is vulnerable. We need to plan for Tamworth’s growth with a water supply system that is reliable and sustainable. This means investigating supply and demand options, so we are less reliant on weather.

The project is investigating all the supply and demand options available for Tamworth and Moonbi/Kootingal to come up with a plan that works for all of us. The remaining areas of the LGA will be investigated separately.

Engagement will occur over three phases

Phase one – May to August 2024

Phase one is now closed. The engagement report is available in the document library.

Phase two – September to December 2024

Phase two is now open. Options being considered for inclusion in the draft TWSP are now available for review and we are keen to hear your feedback. We started with a long list of many options and through detailed investigations and analysis are now able to present a filtered list of options. The ones being presented:

• best meet our primary objective of improving water security
• rate strongly in our secondary objectives of being deliverable while providing resilience and managing environmental and social impacts

Phase three – Mid 2025

Phase three will be the public exhibition of the draft plan; this will happen in mid - 2025.