After a summer that felt like it would never end, Casino residents have some respite as water restrictions for the town water supply have eased back to level one.
The easing of water restrictions has been made possible following 220mm of rain in March, replenishing the Richmond River.
Richmond Valley Council’s General Manager Vaughan Macdonald said recent rain across the region was a welcome sight, and he thanked the community for being water wise during the dry spell.
Macdonald says Council had reviewed information about water use, river levels and long-term forecasts before making the decision to ease water restrictions to level one.
‘Easing of restrictions was about getting the balance right between maintaining an adequate river flow and allowing residents to use water how they wanted,’ he said.
‘Residents did a great job reducing their water use so we could get through the drought until a rain event arrived.’
Macdonald says that the unpredictable weather is the reason ‘we need to ensure the river level doesn’t get too low too soon.’
Level one water restrictions involve:
• Sprinklers and fixed hoses are banned between 8am and 4pm. Exemptions for sprinkler use (up to two hours a day) is allowed for essential businesses, such as nurseries, or where business hours dictate water use like schools, public gardens, sportsgrounds.
• There are no water usage restrictions on local businesses NCMC, Norco, Holcim and others who require water as part of their essential business activities. Nor are there any restrictions on stock watering.
Mr Macdonald said residents and businesses could help to reduce the strain on our water supply by using water wisely in day-to-day activities and conserving water where possible.
‘We’ve all seen the images of how tough it is for people on the land at the moment, and adopting low-level water restrictions across our local government area is a way we can all be mindful of how precious this resource is’.
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