By CAROLINE STRAINIG
LEVEL 4 water restrictions may kick in soon if we don’t get some serious rain – which is looking increasingly unlikely.
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council’s water and sewer group manager Andrew Doig said at current demand levels, the 70 per cent TCS trigger point for Level 4 water restrictions could be reached in 64 days (noting that there has been an increased demand with school holidays).
If Wauchope needs to be supplied from the storages, the trigger point for Level 4 water restrictions could be reached in 56 days.
Mr Doig said the short term rainfall outlook was poor and the longer-term outlook even worse with an increasing probability of an El Nino pattern developing, so it was likely that this situation would continue for some time.
He said major drought events (based on river flows) for this catchment occurred in 1902, 1940, 1994 and 2002 and this year fitted a similar trend pattern to those years.
“Based on the assumption of minimal rainfall through the winter (similar to the previous two years), 2014 could very well become an interesting one,” he said.
Mr Doig said the Hastings River at Koree Island had continued to fall and late last week was at a level of 1.29m with flow well under 100ML/day.
“While Wauchope is still able to be supplied from the river at this point, further reductions in levels will mean that this is no longer possible and Wauchope will then need to be supplied from the storages,” he said.
“The level in Port Dam has been maintained at 94.3 per cent while Cowarra is now down to 73.4 per cent, giving a total combined storage (TCS) of 77.5 per cent.
“The Wilson River at Telegraph Point is very low, now only flowing at 10ML/day. The Hastings River at Long Flat and Thone River at Comboyne have both remained stable but continue to be monitored.”
The Hastings is currently on Level 3 water restrictions, which means that sprinklers and fixed hoses are banned. Micro-sprays are permitted for 15 minutes and one hand-held hose for one hour every second day at certain times. Hoses must be fitted with a water cut-off trigger or control nozzle.
Under Level 4, sprinklers and fixed hoses are also banned. Micro-sprays are still permitted for 15 minutes. However, the one hand-held hose is only permitted for half an hour every second day at certain times instead of one hour.
