![The Malpas Dam The Malpas Dam](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/184392265/dbf11c36-9596-4c73-a552-995e7e54a883.jpg/r0_0_970_545_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Residents across Armidale will be hoping the council's drought-proof plan holds strong while the region's main water supply is drained by 50 per cent to 2026.
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The water level in the Malpas Dam will need to drop by half during construction to raise the wall by 6.5 metres, which would double its capacity from 13 gigalitres to 27gl.
Armidale Regional Council mayor Sam Coupland said the limited water supply is "the biggest handbrake" on population growth in the region.
"So we need to remove that cap on supply," Cr Coupland said.
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The council has a plan to fix the wall on last year's $4.3 million purchase of the disused Oaky River Dam and pipeline, that will eventually link up to the water treatment plant before construction on Malpas Dam begins.
Cr Coupland said if a drought hits during the raising of the Malpas Dam wall, then they will be ready "to press go" on the Oaky River Dam supply.
But Cr Coupland has given his assurances that if there is no drought, then "people won't see a difference" in their available water.
Tender documents for construction on the two dams and pipeline will be ready at the end of 2023, Cr Coupland said, with completion expected by 2026.
During the drought, Armidale was on level five water restrictions when the dam levels had reduced by about half.
And in October 2019, the regional city was veering close to running dry with only 400 days of water supply left before the drought began to ease up.
The Armidale Regional Council is expected to need the extra water as they work towards a population increase of 10,000 by year 2040.
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