New water restrictions invoked for areas of the Tablelands

With weather experts predicting that good rains may be months away and water consumption levels remaining high, Tablelands Regional Council has introduced new water restrictions for the Atherton - Tolga area and has increased the water restriction level in the Herberton - Ravenshoe area.

Extremely dry conditions over the past seven months, combined with high water usage by residents and significant use of water during recent bushfires have adversely affected levels in streams and dams that Council extracts water from.

"We have asked people right across the region to conserve this precious resource, but consumption is still very high and this has triggered the new restrictions," Mayor Tom Gilmore said.

Council officers have been closely monitoring water levels against pre-determined trigger points which is how the restriction levels are determined.

Data from the two major bore pumps servicing the Atherton area show they have been operating up to 153 hours per week over the past three weeks, compared to a normal winter pattern of approximately 40 hours per week.

At Wednesday's Council meeting, Council approved Level 1 water restrictions for the area serviced by the Atherton water supply which includes the communities of Atherton, Kairi, Rangeview, Tandara, Tinaroo township and Tolga.

Council also lifted the Level 1 restrictions in place for the Herberton, Millstream, Mt Garnet, Ravenshoe and Tabo water supply areas to Level 2, affecting the communities of Herberton, Bellview Estate, Cassowary Heights Estate, High Country Estate, Millstream Estate, Mt Garnet, Ravenshoe and Tabo.

"I would ask people to adhere to these restrictions, and those residents in areas where there are not yet restrictions should do everything they can to conserve water as much as possible," Cr Gilmore said.

"Council officers will conduct sprinkler patrols and I ask the public to be mindful that these officers are only trying to ensure adequate water is available for the future, so please do not abuse them for trying to get the message across."

Water restriction levels are:

Level 1: Sprinklers, soaker hoses or similar devices are permitted to be used for two hours between 6am and 8am and for two hours between 5pm and 7pm on odd or even days depending on the respective odd or even house number or rural address number. Hand-held hoses are permitted at any time. Watering by means of an open tap to which a hose is not connected is not permitted at any time.
(A hand-held hose is one that is held in the hand not more than one metre from the nozzle or open end.)

Level 2: A hand-held hose is permitted to be used for one hour between 7am and 8am daily; and a sprinkler, soaker hose or similar device is permitted to be used for one hour between 5pm and 6pm daily. Only one hand-held hose or sprinkler per household is permitted at any one time. Watering by means of an open tap to which a hose is not connected is not permitted at any time.

Property owners who have installed approved programmable timers, can make an application to alter watering times and dates in order to allow watering during the night. Applications must be made to Council on a standard form available at Council's Customer Service Centres.

WATER SAVING TIPS

• Water your lawn only when it needs it. A good soaking once a week is better than a quick drink every day.
• Check your local nursery for drought-tolerant plants. Native shrubs can be a good option if you want to use less water.
• Remove weeds from your garden beds as these compete for the water.
• Use a good mulch to help retain water and prevent evaporation.
• Don't mow your lawn too short - taller grass will hold moisture better.
• Discourage games with the hose and sprinklers. Squirting water around can waste over 1000 litres per hour.
• Install a high efficiency shower rose - this could save you 300,000 litres of water a year.
• Use a broom, not a hose, to clean your driveway.
• Use a trigger hose when watering the garden and doing other jobs. This prevents wastage when moving the hose around.
• Aerate the soil in your garden so it absorbs water more easily.
• When you wash the car, turn the hose off in between rinses, or use a trigger hose.
• When you wash your car, try to do it over your lawn area.
• Fix dripping taps - they can waste 20-300 litres of water a day.
• Turn the tap off while brushing your teeth.