As the skies steadfastly refuse to open up, Central Tablelands Water has raised water restrictions across the entire network to level four for the first time since 2006-07.
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General manager of CTW Gavin Rhodes said Lake Rowlands was now at 42 per cent, and although the normal level at which they would introduce level four was 40 per cent, it was important they acted early.
"We're right in the middle of peak demand across the network so we have to introduce the higher restrictions because the long term rainfall forecast for the Lake Rowlands catchment area is not looking favourable," he said.
"We need to continue to act responsibly in managing our finite resource,"
Although level four restrictions commenced on January 1, Mr Rhodes said that data had shown the residents were already heeding the message regarding water use.
"At level four we like to see water use at 200 litres per person, per day," he said.
"Before Christmas though, even when it was incredibly hot, we saw water use at only 160 litres per person, per day. That's really encouraging."
CTW supplies not only Canowindra with water, but is also responsible for supplying other parts of Cabonne and Weddin shires which includes towns such as Grenfell and Eugowra, both heavily reliant on evaporative styles of cooling.
Balancing the water use across such a large and diverse network was a difficult juggle said CTW's director of operations and technical services Noel Wellham.