Liverpool Plains Shire Council will vote today on a recommendation to lift water restrictions from Level Three to Level Four for residents in Willow Tree as a water crisis affecting 120 connections continues.
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Water Services manager, Rodney Batterham, says a desperate situation has arisen forcing Council to cart water nearly 20km from Quirindi to Willow Tree to meet the domestic needs of households.
“We’re on a knife edge with the supply and we’ve already spent $10,000 carting water during November and that is likely to continue unless there’s some good rain.
“What’s happening is the drought has bitten again at Willow Tree’s supply, which is a single well only eight metres deep in a very shallow aquifer,” Mr Batterham said.
The Willow Tree supply is located near the town’s Visitor Information Centre and relies on flows from Borambil Creek.
“That Creek hasn’t flowed for a long time; we’re talking no significant flows in the last six months,” Mr Batterham said.
Council is using an eight-wheeler rigid truck to cart 13,000 litres in each load. It’s now doing up to nine loads a day to re-supply the depleted well.
Rodney Batterham said if Liverpool Plains Shire Council votes to lift water restrictions today, householders in Willow Tree will be banned from watering outside.
“We’re urging Willow Tree residents to help us with this situation because on-the-spot fines of $220 apply and those fines increase to $2,200 for repeat offenders,” Mr Batterham said.
Mr Batterham says a fully-funded grant of $4.8 million from Infrastructure NSW was made to Council a few weeks ago to address the situation.
Council will release tenders for the construction of a new reservoir and pipe system between Quirindi and Willow Tree within days.
Rodney Batterham says unless it rains water carting is likely to continue as it will take up to six months for the project to be completed, with approvals needed to get under railway lines and roads.