Medium water restrictions imposed

TEN communities across the Toowoomba region are banned from watering lawns or filling up swimming pools after the council yesterday introduced tough new water restrictions.

Mayor Paul Antonio announced that water trucking had already begun in Hodgson Vale and would start soon in Cambooya, after stresses on key bores were detected, including issues with water quality.

The new medium level restrictions, effective today, don’t yet affect Toowoomba city areas, but would come into effect if dams dropped below a combined 30 per cent.

Dam levels are just above 45 per cent.

WATER is already being trucked into two rural communities as the Toowoomba Regional Council yesterday imposed medium-level restrictions on some areas.

Residents in rural areas outside the Toowoomba city bounds are now banned from filling up their swimming pools or watering their lawns after the short-notice decision.

Mayor Paul Antonio confirmed trucking of water to the reservoirs of Cambooya and Hodgson Vale had already started, after significant stresses on bores were detected.

“We’ve come to the decision that in a number of outlying areas as of (today) we will have medium-level water restrictions,” he said.

“This has been done without any external advice, and is done in an effort to conserve water in the areas.

“We will, by transporting water, supplement groundwater supplies where necessary.

“We can restart some of the

non-operational bores, and we could possibly use portable filtration systems to improve water quality.”

While Toowoomba residents won’t be affected by the changes, Cr Antonio said medium-level restrictions would be imposed when the combined level of the city’s three dams dropped below 30 per cent. Currently, they are at 45 per cent.