COUNCIL could soon payback businesses which take up innovative water saving measures on site.
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With level 5 restrictions bearing down on the city for the foreseeable future, Tamworth's remaining water supply remains in sharp focus.
Outdoors taps have been essentially turned-off in homes and businesses have been asked to cut back where possible.
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It might be a desperate measure for the time, but a new wave of water-saving technology could be ushered in with the council recently voting to extend water saving rebates to businesses.
At Tuesday's ordinary meeting, councillors voted on favour of putting $50,000 towards the new business rebate scheme.
Initially, the business rebates could be received for moves like installing dual-flush toilets.
But Tamworth Business Chamber president Jye Segboer asked the council to go further and follow the lead of cities around the world.
He said cities in dry climates like Denver and San Diego had encouraged businesses of all kinds to minimise water use as much as possible.
This included things like waterless suction tools at dentists and waterless urinals among other things.
Mr Segboer said the council had done a good job managing the city's supply amid tough restrictions.
But he said communication with businesses hasn't been "as proactive as it should have been".
The council will vote on further business measures it could offer a partial refund on at a later meeting.
"We will be looking at other ways we could offer rebates for water saving in business and come back to council with other options," water director Bruce Logan said.
Mr Logan said the council wasn't looking at enforcing tougher restrictions on businesses just yet.
"That is the job of the taskforce," he said.
"If this drought continues and we do continue to see a fall in Chaffey Dam that's when we will look at at businesses and what actions do we take."