TYALGUM WATER SUPPLY DROPPING FAST

By Sarah Waters

Level 2 water restrictions will be introduced for Tyalgum residents in the Tweed Shire this week unless there is significant rainfall.

Tyalgum residents, businesses and visitors are urged to save water now and meet the Level 2 water use target of just 140 litres a day per person to prolong the village’s water supply.

Tyalgum’s drinking water is sourced from the weir pool on the upper Oxley River.

The river is down to a trickle and the amount of water in the weir pool is dropping fast.

At Level 2, watering established lawns and using sprinklers, soaker hoses or drip irrigation is banned.

Refilling pools and spas from empty and topping up ponds and fountains is also banned, except to keep fish or frogs alive.

Watering private gardens (not lawns) is permitted, using a trigger-controlled handheld hose, for 15 minutes before 9am or after 4pm.

The odd/even house number system will be enforced, with no watering on the 31st of the month.

Washing private vehicles is permitted, using a high-pressure, low-flow cleaner with trigger control, for five minutes, once every two weeks.

Washing dogs is permitted with a bucket at any time. Otherwise, a mobile or fixed-premises dog washer must be used.

Tweed Shire’s Water

Business and Assets Manager

Michael

Wraight said the community can take practical steps to reduce daily water usage.

This includes mulching gardens to prevent water evaporation, keeping showers to under four minutes, waiting for a full load to do the washing and fixing leaky taps, toilets and hot water systems.

“We’re relying on everyone in Tyalgum to do the right thing,” Mr Wraight said.

“While we await significant rainfall, saving water wherever possible will help delay harsher water restrictions for the village.”

With El Nino declared for Australia’s East Coast, Mr Wraight said the rest of the Tweed might head into water restrictions in the coming months unless there is significant rain.

“Each of us will save 18 litres by cutting our daily shower by two minutes.

“If we put away our hoses and clean our hard outdoor surfaces with a broom instead, we each save a massive 20 litres a minute.

“Only using the toilet’s half flush will save 10 litres a day.

“You can save more than one litre an hour by fixing just one leaky tap, or up to 260 litres a day by getting a constantly running toilet fixed,” he said.

Council can impose fines of up to $2200 to people who breach water restrictions. Report a breach by calling 02 6670 2400.

Council has distributed information to Tyalgum residents and businesses about what they can and cannot do under Level 2 restrictions. Go to tweed.nsw.gov. au/water-restrictionseveryone#level-2 for the full list of level 2 water restrictions.

Since 2020, water carting from Tyalgum and Uki has been banned and whenever water restrictions are in force, water carting is banned elsewhere in the Tweed to locations outside our

Shire.

Tweed Shire Council is completing planning works for the proposed raising of Clarrie Hall Dam to increase the volume of water that can be stored.