In the wake of a report which showed the Orange community recently used more water in a week than any other week in the last six years, Orange Mayor Tony Mileto is urging the community to save water where they can.
SUMA PARK: As the Orange community heads into cooler months, our combined water storage of all our dams is currently at 88% of capacity.
In short: There's been a spike in how much water Orange residents are using.
Residents used more water in one March week than any week in the last six years.
What's next: Orange's permanent water restrictions are still in place.
According to a report to the latest Orange City Council meeting, the average amount of water used by each person per day reached 238 litres in the week ending 20 March, significantly higher than the water-use target of 220 litres.
The weekly average total was the highest recorded since the drought in March 2019 when Orange residents used at average of 256 litres per day.
Orange Mayor Tony Mileto is asking residents to stick to the city's water restrictions.
"I believe the Council is doing a good job of working on the city's long-term water security by a range of infrastructure project over the years and we've got more to do, but the other side of the coin is encouraging residents to save water where they can," Cr Tony Mileto said.
"Every resident with a garden knows it's been a very dry Autumn this year and it's understandable why locals would want to keep the water up to their gardens. What these latest figures tell us, is that we also all need to keep responsible water use in mind.
"The community is doing a great job. Long-term Orange residents have designed their gardens in line with our climate and responsible water use.
"Over many years they've embraced our city's permanent water restrictions and the 'Water for Life' awareness program run by Council. They know that watering sensibly every other day can produce a beautiful garden or a productive veggie patch.
"We're also in a good position coming out of Summer with our dams at 88% of capacity but every drop counts."
