Upper Lachlan
Indicator: Water Use
Results for this indicator are also available for [an error occurred while processing this directive]
What the results tell us for the Upper Lachlan
The recent drought has had a major impact on the availability of water for residential use in Crookwell with only about six months supply being available to the town, for a period during the last reporting period. In the event of the predicted reductions in annual rainfall in South Eastern Australia becoming the normal situation, increasing the water storage capacity is important.
Supply- how much water could we have?
Crookwell
Crookwell drinking water supply is sourced from the Back Creek Reservoir and provides drinking water for a population of 2,100. The supply is fully treated and disinfected with chlorine. The reservoir capacity is 450 ML.
Dalton
Dalton drinking water supply is sourced from the Dalton Bores and provides drinking water for 130 people. The supply is disinfected with chlorine but not otherwise treated.
Gunning
This drinking water supply is drawn from the Lachlan River, and provides water for a population of 560. It is chlorinated for disinfection, but not otherwise treated.
Taralga
Drinking water for Taralga is drawn from Woolshed Creek, and supplies a population of 300 people. The water supply is disinfected by UV light, but not otherwise treated.
No information was provided on bore or pumping capacity.
How much water was available
Figure 1. shows the percentage fullness over the years 2005 – 2008. Data from Black Creek reservoir was used to develop this figure.
Figure 1. Percentage fullness of supply dam in 2005-2006.
Figure 2 Percentage fullness of supply dam in 2006-2007.
Figure 3. Percentage fullness of supply dam in 2007-2008.
Late summer records the minimum levels reached, with only 54% of capacity in March, April and May of 2007. This represents 243 ML, or only about 6 months supply for the year 2006-2007.
Consumption – how much water was used?
Total use
| 2003/04 | 2004/05 | 2005/06 | 2006/07 | 2007/08 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total volume of surface water used per year in ML - from eg. dams, reservoirs, rivers etc. | 352 | 380 | 400 | 460 | 378 |
| Total volume of reticulated water used per year (ML) | 352 | 380 | 400 | 460 | 378 |
| Total volume of bore water used per year in ML | 25 | 25 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
| non-reticulated | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Use by sector
The total reticulated supply is reported as residential use.
Environmental flows
There is no information on environmental flows.
Managing water demand and use
Water conservation
Water restrictions were not introduced in the Upper Lachlan Shire in 2005-2006. In 2006-2007, restrictions applied for 90 days at Level 1. This was increased to level 3 in 2007-2008 for 150 days.
The 2007-2008 water use shows a reduction of nearly 20% from the volume used in 2006-2007. Level 3 restrictions allow garden watering by a hand-held hose for 60 minutes on alternate days, in the early morning or late afternoon. No fixed irrigation is allowed.
Recycling – making the drop go further
There is no use of recycled water; treated wastewater is discharged to creeks.
Laws and policy
No information was available on the water policy of the Upper Lachlan Council.
About the data
Quantitative data were received from the Upper Lachlan Council area.
