Tamworth water restrictions: Council sprinkler patrols increase on level two restrictions

The sprinkler sentry will operate outside council hours in Tamworth, Moonbi and Kootingal to make sure residents comply with level two restrictions.

“We’ve made a decision to step up our patrolling to make sure people are doing the right thing,” council’s water and waste director Bruce Logan said.

“Our aim is to get 95 to 98 per cent of people to comply with water restrictions, there does appear to be some people who think the rules don’t really apply to them.”

A $220 on-the-spot fine or warning awaits anyone caught breaking the rules.

Repeat offenders face council installment of a flow-restrictor, that stops the sprinkler working altogether.

At this rate, it’s expected Tamworth will move to level three restrictions in eight weeks.

And if the drought continues there will be zero allocation for general security irrigators from July 4 Mr Logan said.

“We aren’t the only customer who takes water from Chaffey Dam,” he said.

“While we’re reducing our consumption there is still water being released for general security use, irrigation and other activities.

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“We need to reduce our consumption as much as we can and by doing so we’ll prolong the amount of water being held in the dam.”

Under a level two restriction, sprinklers, sprays and fixed hoses cannot be used. Handheld hoses can be used between 6pm and 8pm.

Cars can only be washed with a hand-held hose and no wash down of hard surfaces is allowed unless it’s with a high pressure cleaner.

Council permission is required to top up pools of more than five kilolitres, and rainwater can only be used from tanks that aren’t connected to the treated supply.

At least four staff will be working overtime to patrol water misusers. Level two water restrictions are in place from Monday (February 4).

The patrols will travel in clearly marked vehicles.

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