At the December 17 ordinary meeting, council will consider plans to cart water from Scone to Murrurundi for the town supply.

With warmer weather, water use is rising and the dam continues to drop.

The emergency bore is currently supplying 70 per cent of the town’s needs but if water use rises, there will be increased reliance on the dam.

If the bore was to fail, and the town was drawing only from the dam, there is an estimated 40 days of supply remaining.

Council would need to implement water carting within a few weeks.

Large amounts of water may need to be trucked into the town over summer to keep water running to homes, businesses, the hospital, school, aged care and others. 

The cost of water carting will come out of council’s Water Fund, which comes from water rates, Shire-wide.

Murrurundi has been on level 6 water restrictions since July and the town has received only 417mm of rainfall this year to December, about half the historic annual average.

Murrurundi and District War Memorial Pool is still on target to open by the school holidays.

Council thanks the Murrurundi Royal Hotel and their supporters for covering the costs of trucking water to the town, as well as a contribution from Godolphin.

The pool’s opening will be a small triumph over the drought (and that 47-year-old pipe that cracked and has had to be replaced during final preparations to open the pool).

2018/2019 season passes purchased at Murrurundi pool will be half price and can still be used at the shire’s three pools.

For more information about entry prices, opening times and supervision of children aged 12 years and below visit: http://upperhunter.nsw.gov.au/our-facilities/swimming-pools/murrurundi-district-war-memorial-pool.aspx