Residents panic buying water
ON the eve of Level 4 restrictions in the Dubbo Local Government area, local water carter Peter Edwards said many residents have begun panic buying water.
“We are extremely busy,” he said. “I am getting calls at 9 or 10 o’clock at night for deliveries. People are absolutely in need of water.
“It’s really coming to a lot of people’s attention how valuable water is.”
Mr Edwards, who runs Mckechnie Water Cartage as part of Peter Edwards Transport, says that residents are concerned about the impact of pending restrictions on water usage.
“They are panicking about the water restrictions, that the council are going to stop them from getting water,” he said.
“People in town are getting us to deliver water because they think that if they buy water instead of using town water, they can put it on their garden.”
However, this defeats the purpose of the restrictions.
As a water carter, Mr Edwards can use one of the filling stations operated by Dubbo Regional Council.
“People want to buy bore water and have it carted,“he explained. “The council have stopped the free water. It was a benefit but nothing has changed much.”
Mr Edwards said that while urban residents across the city had been placed on water restrictions for the first time in the past five months, people in rural areas have felt the pinch for a lot longer.
“A lot of people are running out of water. There wouldn’t be many with water left in their tanks.
“People that aren’t on town water have been dealing with this for three years,” he said.
“People out on farms have been on water restrictions for three years and I’ve been bringing them water.”
While Mr Edwards is now working seven days a week to assist residents with their water supply, he is prepared to do whatever he can to ensure domestic water service continues.
“I’m mainly a one-man band, I’ve got a job to do. I used to travel more but I am flat out doing local
DUBBO PHOTO NEWS/SOPHIA ROUSE
deliveries now, within 20 to 30km,” he said.
“We are focusing on domestic needs... 100 per cent domestic water. We service these people, we need to look at the people who need us.”
While no-one wants restricted water access, current drought conditions are affecting its supply right across the region.
“We don’t want to go on restrictions but people don’t know what’s going to happen.
“Council have told us that restrictions won’t affect us at all. Council are obliged to provide ratepayers with potable water.”