WATER USE PLUMMETS AFTER RAIN

STEADY rain has had a dramatic impact on water usage rates across the city and will slowly feed into the Ross River dam.

By 9pm yesterday the Bureau of Meteorology’s gauge at Townsville Airport had recorded another 1.8mm, following on from 19.4mm the previous day. More was expected overnight.

Between Sunday and Wednesday, 40.8mm was recorded.

Townsville City Council Water and Waste chairman Cr Paul Jacob said the amount of water used by residents had dropped dramatically since the rain event started on Sunday.

“The average use has been about 108ML,” Cr Jacob said.

“In the past 24 hours the total production from the Douglas Water Treatment Plant and the Northern Water Treatment Plant totalled just 71ML,” he said.

Cr Jacob said the reduction in usage was partly due to residents not having to water their gardens.

“That’s one of the biggest hits we get, hand watering days,” he said. “Before the rain you could see those figures climbing as more people got out to hose.”

Cr Jacob said the Ross River Dam catchment area received 44mm on Sunday.

“That was good timing and primed all of the land,” he said.

“We were so dry prior to that and that would have now soaked into the ground and into the aquifer.

“Anything we’re getting now will contribute to a slow rise and is beneficial to the dam.”

Yesterday the Bureau of Meteorology predicted between 50mm and 80mm of rain would fall in the Townsville area.

Cr Jacob said if that amount of rain was to fall over the Ross River Dam catchment area, it would have a significant impact on overall dam levels.

Yesterday the Ross River Dam level was at 16.02 per cent, or the equivalent of 37,360ML of water.

On Tuesday night the Bowen area received the highest total, with 71mm recorded in the gauge.

BOM forecaster Lauren Murphy said upstream of Ross River Dam catchment area about 30- 50mm of rain was recorded.

The Paluma area also received significant falls and the dam there is 66 per cent full.

Today the bureau is predicting between 15mm and 50mm of rain will fall across Townsville.

There is a 95 per cent chance of showers and thunderstorms are also possible.