As per Council’s Drought Management Plan Tamworth, Moonbi and Kootingal will move to Level 4 water restrictions on Monday 31 August after Chaffey Dam reached 25% last week.

Under Level 4 water restrictions there is still no use of potable water outdoors unless for health, safety, hygiene or welfare needs but consumption targets do increase. The Tamworth, Moonbi and Kootingal town water supply daily target increases to 18.5ML/day and the per person daily consumption target increases to 200L. As per Council’s Drought Management Plan the following rules apply under Level 4 water restrictions:

• Recycled, greywater and rainwater can be used;
• Cleaning of vehicle windows, windscreens, number plates and mirrors can be done for safety and regulatory purposes with buckets only;
• Potable water can be used for essential health, hygiene, safety and welfare needs;
• All residential outdoor use of town water supply is banned;
• No irrigation of outdoor industrial or commercial greenspaces;
• Trickle feed tanks that are connected to the town water supply for refilling cannot be used for outdoor watering; and
• Pools cannot be filled or topped up using the town water supply.

Conserving water and minimizing consumption where possible should remain front of mind for residents and businesses in Tamworth, Moonbi and Kootingal. As seen in the past dam levels can drop quickly but a continual conservative approach to consumption will allow for the Chaffey Dam capacity to continue increasing should the catchment area experience further rainfall.

The trigger for Level 3 water restrictions is when Chaffey Dam reaches 30%.