March 17, 2017
The South Burnett Regional Council increased water restrictions from Level 2 to Level 3 at Wednesday’s Council meeting in response to falling dam levels.
Boondooma Dam is currently at 33 per cent capacity, and Bjelke-Petersen Dam is at 20 per cent.
Deputy Mayor Kathy Duff suggested the increase be deferred for a month in light of recent rains and the forecast of more to come in the next few days.
But Council officers told the meeting reports they’d received indicated recent rain was producing very little run-off, so it was prudent to begin conserving the region’s water.
The main effect of moving from Level 2 to Level 3 was that hand-held watering would be reduced from two hours to one hour twice per day, three times a week, they said.
Mayor Keith Campbell agreed.
“Reducing water use in times of drought helps make our water supply dams last as long as possible for essential water supplies in the town areas,” he said.
“If we don’t get any significant inflows to the dams in the next few months, we will have to consider increasing the restrictions to Level 4.”
Other Councillors also agreed, voting unanimously to increase the restrictions.
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Level 3 water restrictions are now in place throughout the South Burnett Regional Council area.
The restrictions mean that sprinklers cannot be used, and hosing paved and/or concrete areas is not permitted.
Hand held watering is permitted from 6:00am to 7:00am, and 5:00pm to 6:00pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays for odd numbered houses, and Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays for even numbered houses. No residential watering is permitted on Mondays.
Restrictions also apply to commercial, government and Council facilities including sports fields, schools and parks that utilise reticulated town water.
Further details are available on the Council website or by contacting Council’s Customer Service Centres on (07) 4189-9100.
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Water Saving Tips
Inside the house:
- Turn the tap off while you clean your teeth, shave, or soap up before washing your hands. This can save up to 9 litres a minute.
- Take 4 minute showers. Cutting your shower time from 7 to 4 minutes will save up to 36 litres of water.
- When rinsing dishes or washing fruit, part-fill the sink instead of running the water. A kitchen tap uses about 9 litres a minute.
- Select water-efficient appliances when replacing any that use water. For example, if you need a new washing machine, think about buying one with AAAA water rating.
- Only wash clothes when you have a full load.
Outside the house:
- Sweep paved areas, driveways and paths with a broom.
- Native trees and shrubs need less water. Talk to your local nursery for advice on buying plants native to your area. They also use less fertiliser and pesticides, and attract birds and other wildlife to your garden.
- Mulch garden beds to reduce water loss (which can be up to 70%) through evaporation. Mulch stores water for plants to use and helps to stop weeds from growing.
- Set your lawn mower’s cutting height to 3 centimetres or higher to avoid cutting your lawn too short. This will reduce the amount of water your grass will need.
