Council is pleased to inform the communities of Bombala and Delegate that water restrictions will be reduced from Level 4 to Level 2. The Bredbo and Cooma supplies have been reduced from Level 2 to Level 1 and Nimmitabel supply from Level 3 to Level 1.
These water restriction reductions will be in effect from 12:00pm Friday 20 March 2020 until further notice.
Recent rainfall throughout the Snowy Monaro region has provided welcome relief after a long, dry summer. While water restriction levels have been relaxed, lower levels will remain in place to ensure supply as the region is still in a drought.
The Coolumbooka River Catchment, which supplies Bombala, has been significantly drought-affected. Recent rainfall and bushfire events have resulted in high levels of contaminants and high levels of colour in the raw water.
Until these contaminants are flushed or have settled to a manageable level, the Bombala Water Treatment Plant will be operating at a reduced capacity to ensure the quality of treated water is maintained. The frequency of raw water testing has been increased to ensure that the treatment plant is operating effectively.
Unfortunately, lower rainfall levels were recorded across the catchment area for the Delegate River in comparison to the rest of the region, however, consumption is expected to be lower due to milder weather conditions.