18 May 2023
SDRC Water Supply Schemes
Southern Downs Regional Council (SDRC) is a registered water service provider under the Water Supply (Safety and Reliability) Act 2008. SDRC has seven water supply schemes as shown in the figure below. Current dam levels and status of our water sources can be found at Dam Levels.
Permanent Water Saving Rules
Permanent water saving rules are now in place with a target of 200 Litres per person per day (200 L/p/d) apply across the region for users accessing drinking water
supplies.
Outdoor watering and cleaning times
Use of water for outdoor watering and cleaning of hard surfaces can only occur:
May – September 7:00 AM – 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
October – April 6:00 AM – 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Hand Held Hose
Water from a hand-held hose can only be used if it is fitted with a trigger nozzle and is leak free.
Garden Sprinklers
Garden sprinklers must be a minimum 3 star rating and used in conjunction with a timer.
- Maximum use of a water efficient sprinkler is 20 minutes on any one day where outdoor watering is allowed.
- Sprinklers can only be used in accordance with scheduled outdoor watering times.
- Use of efficient sprinklers must comply with Efficient Irrigation for Water Conservation Guidelines.
Residential Vehicle Washing
Washing of cars, caravans, trailers, bikes and boats is permitted within allocated outdoor watering times using:
- Hand-held hoses (with trigger nozzle);
- Buckets; and
- High pressure, low volume water cleaning units
Cleaning windows, mirrors, and lights for safety can be done at any time of day using a bucket.
Cleaning of hard surfaces
Water can be used (using waterwise practices) to clean driveways, paths, concrete, tiles, timber decking, and solar panels where:
- Cleaning is required as a result of an accident, fire, health hazard, safety hazard or other emergency (can occur any time of day);
- If surface staining has occurred (cleaning can occur once per season); and
- In the course of construction or renovation (Exemptions may be required within the water restriction framework)
Waterwise practices must be used when cleaning hard surfaces. This means:
- Use of a high pressure, low volume water cleaning device; or
- If such a device is not available, a hand held hose (see above) or a bucket and broom
Be Waterwise stickers are available for businesses located within the Southern Downs. These stickers are free of charge and can be collected from Council Administration Buildings for use in showers, toilets and near hand washing basins.
Drought Management Plan
This Drought Management Plan demonstrates Southern Down Regional Council’s commitment to proactively identify and mitigate the drought related risks, particularly the likelihood and consequence of loss of water supply to the communities within the Council’s water supply areas. The Drought Management Plan is applicable to customers connected to all the reticulated water supply schemes, as well as those who purchase bulk water supply from Southern Downs Regional Council.
The Drought Management Plan provides a roadmap of planned, pre-agreed and stepped actions at clear trigger points to respond to water security risks. The Plan is established based on an adaptive decision-making framework to allow a range of actual factors including climate outlook at the time to be considered before drought response actions are implemented.
All seven Water Supply Schemes, Warwick/Allora/Yangan, Stanthorpe, Killarney, Wallangarra, Dalveen, Leyburn and Pratten were considered individually and individual triggers and actions have been identified. Specific drought response actions have been prepared for each individual water supply scheme, outlining actions related to the investigation and implementation of contingency and emergency water supplies; noting that SDRC have elected to adopt a scheme specific approach to the implementation of water restrictions (i.e., each scheme to enter water restrictions as required).
Each scheme has a tailored plan as represented in the Drought Response Plan figure below. The drought response actions considered in this Plan includes demand management actions as well as actions required to mobilise contingency and emergency supply options. The actions are developed given consideration to two separate rounds of community engagement, regional factors, drought history, growth projections, climate variability and the current science of climate change. This representation also outlines the five stages of activities which include four restriction levels of increasing severity. Each scheme has individual triggers and residential and non- residential consumption targets. This Drought Management Plan also outlines the planning, monitoring, operational and engagement activities required for each of the four levels of Restrictions outlined to ensure they have the desired effect when introduced.
Pressure and Leakage
Leak detection has been completed across the whole network. Leaks continue to be repaired as Council becomes aware of them, and work continues to develop hydraulic models of the water supply network for the strategic management of leaks, efficient pressure management and future planning.
Communications
The Southern Downs Regional Council website should be the primary reference point for all questions relating to water queries. Updates will be provided on a regular basis to the website on key issues such as water restrictions, storage forecasts and water conservation tips, as well as frequently asked questions (FAQs). Important questions from the community can be submitted either by email (drought@sdrc.qld.gov.au) or via the Council Facebook page.