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Douglas Shire enters level 1 water restrictions

Level 1 Water restrictions turn on
REDUCED flows at all local water intakes due to lower rainfall in 2020 has pushed Douglas Shire into level one water restrictions today.
Douglas Shire Council is encouraging the community to implement water wise strategies in the home and backyard starting by using sprinklers to water the garden on three days per week only.
The Rex Creek intake level continues to drop towards 300mm with no significant rainfall predicted for September.
For comparison, the intake level was 500mm at this time last year and dropped to its lowest below 100mm, during Level 3 water restrictions in December last year.
Douglas Shire Mayor Michael Kerr said more targeted water usage in the backyard was a great way for the public to play their part in managing demand for the limited water supplies.
“We would like everyone to water in the early morning or late afternoon, on your designated day, as a way to reduce demand over the next few weeks,” he said.
“The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting an early onset of the wet season which means if we are water wise now, we could be in a great position later in the year.”
While Level 1 water restrictions allow the use of sprinklers and irrigation systems, they must only be used on alternate days only, between 6am to 8am and 6pm and 8pm.  EVEN-numbered houses or no prescribed street number: Wed, Fri, Sun  ODD-numbered houses: Tue, Thu, Sat Sprinklers and irrigation systems cannot be used on Mondays under Level 1 Water Restrictions. Mayor Kerr will be discuss water security with Queensland Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy, Dr Anthony Lynham, in Cairns tomorrow.
“Council is working through improvements to our water security with approval for a second intake currently going through the State Government,” he said.
“We are also progressing a feasibility study into a larger raw water storage site and plan for a rollout of smart water meters to improve efficiencies in our water supply.”
Council staff will meet with landscapers this week to talk about the Level 1 Water Restrictions. For more information about water restrictions, please visit Council’s website.

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