The Deua River supplies drinking water for the Eurobodalla Shire. Photo: File.
Eurobodalla has moved down to Level 2 water restrictions following heavy rainfall across the South East. And while permanent water-wise measures are in place in the Bega Valley, there are currently no water restrictions in place within the Bega Valley Shire.
Eurobodalla Council’s director of infrastructure Warren Sharpe said there had been enough rain to allow pumping of water from the shire’s rivers to the storage facility at Deep Creek Dam – now three-quarters full – to continue.
Dam levels at Deep Creek on March 30 were at 73.9 per cent, up from 61.7 per cent at the beginning of March. At that time, Mr Sharpe said it might take several months of rain and pumping for restrictions to ease further.
Eurobodalla’s three major catchments, Clyde, Tuross and Moruya, all collect rainfall flowing from the eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range and water sourced from the Deua and Tuross Rivers make up Eurobodalla’s town water supply.
Water is pumped from the Deua River into Deep Creek Dam near Mogo, which has a capacity of 4900 million litres. It’s stored there before entering the Eurobodalla reticulation system.
“We still need to conserve water,” Mr Sharpe said.
“Moving to Level 2 restrictions means the limit of one hour per day for watering is removed, giving householders more time to water their gardens.
Outdoor water use is still restricted to either a hand-held hose or a single drip irrigation system, between the hours of 6 – 8 am or 6 – 8 pm.
Mr Sharpe said within these times existing pools could be topped up and new pools filled, still with a hand-held hose only.
“Motor flushing at boat ramps is allowed again but washing watercraft is still banned. Fish cleaning taps will remain closed and fishers should continue to use bucketed salt water,” he said.
The full list of what is and is not allowed under Level 2 water restrictions can be found on the Council’s website, including restrictions applicable to businesses. Mr Sharpe urged everyone to follow the restrictions, adding that there are fines for those who misuse water.
“Recent events have shown we never know what’s coming next, so maintaining good reserves of water is crucial”, he said.
Dam levels in the Bega Valley as of March 30 are also at far more comfortable levels than over summer.
The Yellow Pinch Dam, which is owned and operated by Bega Valley Shire, has a 3000 ML Dam Level and is currently at 66.5 per cent capacity, and Council’s Ben Boyd Dam with an 800 ML capacity is at 93.1 per cent. Brogo Dam is owned and operated by WaterNSW and is currently 100 per cent full.
Visit www.esc.nsw.gov.au/water for information on water restrictions, Deep Creek Dam storage level, and information on how to save water. For the Bega Valley, further information can be found on the Council’s website.
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