How much water is Orange currently using?
This graph shows the average daily water consumption of residential households (expressed in litres per person per day) in the Orange City Council area.
Daily Residential Water Consumption (litres per person per day)
| Date | Consumption |
|---|---|
| 11 October 2018 | 171 |
| 4 October 2018 | 183 |
| 27 September 2018 | 193 |
| 20 September 2018 | 178 |
| 13 September 2018 | 173 |
| 6 September 2018 | 165 |
| 30 August 2018 | 167 |
| 23 August 2018 | 166 |
| 16 August 2018 | 166 |
| 9 August 2018 | 164 |
| 2 August 2018 | 176 |
Previous Monthly Averages
| Month | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 182 | 181 | 270 | 204 | 166 | 257 | 272 |
| February | 176 | 217 | 240 | 232 | 233 | 288 | 249 |
| March | 167 | 191 | 179 | 235 | 257 | 208 | 251 |
| April | 176 | 186 | 176 | 183 | 229 | 182 | 233 |
| May | 175 | 181 | 170 | 182 | 185 | 171 | 192 |
| June | 157 | 169 | 172 | 176 | 170 | 178 | 170 |
| July | 155 | 159 | 174 | 174 | 194 | 171 | 179 |
| August | 154 | 161 | 177 | 173 | 223 | 167 | 168 |
| September | 159 | 166 | 183 | 180 | 200 | 196 | 177 |
| October | 171 | 193 | 204 | 218 | 188 | 200 | |
| November | 209 | 218 | 264 | 209 | 201 | 205 | |
| December | 244 | 283 | 240 | 286 | 237 | 221 |
Water Restrictions
It’s important for the Orange community to use water responsibly. To help manage water-use for the community, Orange City Council has Water Restrictions in place.
Currently Level 2 restrictions are in place
This means gardens and lawns can be watered for 3 hours in the mornings and 3 hours in the late afternoon, on alternate days. (As a guide: Houses with an odd-numbered street address number should water gardens on odd numbered days of the month. Residents with even numbered house numbers should water gardens on even numbered days of the month.)
The watering times are:
- between 7:00 and 10:00 in the morning and,
- between 4:00 and 7:00 in the evenings, every other day, under the odds and evens system.
- (During daylight-saving times : 6am – 9am and 6pm – 9pm)
If you wash your car at home, please park it on the lawn, wash it with a bucket and then rinse it off with a hose fitted with a trigger nozzle.
A more detailed outline of Level 2 Restrictions can be found in this Level 2 Water Restrictions fact sheet. The level of the water restrictions is based on the current capacity of Orange’s Water Supply dams. It’s designed to have an effect on the average amount of water each Orange resident uses.
Applying for an exemption from water restrictions
Orange City Council acknowledges that in some circumstances, some businesses or residents can ask to be exempt from the current Water Restrictions. Residents and businesses who want to apply for an exemption from current water restrictions need to complete this form. You will be notified of the result once request has been considered.
Water supply storage levels
The combined storage of Suma Park and Spring Creek Dams.
The combined storage of Suma Park and Spring Creek Dams is currently 53.6%.
Individual water storages
| Location | Date | Level below spillway mm | % of capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suma Park Dam | 12 October 2018 | 7816 | 46.75 |
| Spring Creek Dam | 12 October 2018 | 860 | 81.27 |
| Lake Canobolas | 12 October 2018 | 1197 | 67.69 |
| Gosling Creek Dam | 12 October 2018 | 1091 | 69.91 |
NB – The water storage figures for Suma Park Dam from 1 July 2016 (start of a new water year) apply to the new height of the Suma Park Dam wall. The additional 1m equates to an approximate 10% increase in storage capacity.
Ploughmans Valley & North Orange Dual Water Scheme
This is an important initiative which aims to reduce consumption of drinking water in the Ploughmans Valley & North Orange area by 40%. Instead of using drinking-water, residents can use stormwater collected from the city’s wetlands to irrigate gardens and flush toilets.
This Fact Sheet answers a range of questions from – can I give the water from the purple tap to my pets? Can I wash the car using the purple tap water? Or can I use it to fill the swimming pool?
All houses in the Ploughmans Valley & North Orange area built since 2005 are required to be equipped with a ‘dual water’ plumbing system. Beginning at the distinctive purple-coloured water meter at the front of your property, your house is designed to have two sets of plumbing: one that supplies water to toilets and outdoor taps, and one for all other uses (drinking taps, hot water, washing machines, showers, baths, etc).
Because of the drought, the NSW government gave Orange City Council permission to postpone connecting newly-built houses to the recycled water system until the storm water wetlands were constructed and a second set of water mains were completed.
Smart water advice
Orange City Council is a proud supporter of Smart Water Advice. In collaboration with Smart Approved WaterMark, we are providing a range of tips and resources to help you save water in your home, garden and at work
