GUNNING and Dalton residents could run out of water if there’s no significant rain soon.

Upper Lachlan Shire Mayor John Shaw describes the current big dry as “worse than the 10- year drought in the 2000s”. Council this week banned residents of the two villages from using water outdoors following the rapid decline in the flow of the Lachlan River.

“The water flows in the Lachlan River are down to a trickle and water consumption in Gunning is relatively high,” general manager John Bell said.

“Flow in the river is currently struggling to meet the town demand, and with continuing failing rainfall and hot conditions it is now essential that we introduce high level water restrictions.

“Water availability in the bores that supply Dalton is also declining, and in accordance with Council’s Drought Management Plan it is appropriate that Dalton has the same restrictions as the neighbouring village of Gunning.”

The harsh Level 5 restrictions were imposed on Wednesday – just weeks from the expected completion date of Gunning’s new 100-megalitre water storage and treatment facility.

Work on the $10.8 million project had been delayed for almost a year while the shire fought for state government funding.

The council’s director of works and operations Phil Newham said the project was progressing well but it wasn’t at a stage to avert the need for restrictions.

“We’re doing everything we possibly could do in this situation,” he said.

“We couldn’t start at level 1 then gradually impose more restrictions under level 2, 3 and so forth because we are harvesting from a river, which is our primary water source.

“We can’t ration water stocks from a river and we can’t predict how long that river will keep flowing.

“But we are looking at a scenario where, yes, water might have to be carted in.”

Mr Newham said the water supply works should be completed at the end of March but it would still take a year or more for the storage to fill.

Crookwell and Taralga also face water restrictions in the next few days.

Cr Shaw is asking for the cooperation of residents.

“When the river is flowing we can access the water as it goes past, but as of this last week it has stopped,” the mayor explained.

“It’s not a decision (the restrictions) they take lightly.

“They tried to give the residents the chance to access the water but when it’s not there, there’s just nothing they can do about it.”

The council will be enforcing the water restrictions and fines may be applied for non-compliance.

Without substantial rain in the coming weeks it is highly likely that more stringent water restrictions will become necessary, Mr Newham warned.

Level 5 (Extreme) water restrictions means that all outdoor watering is banned, as is the use of hand-held hoses and pool filling. Residents are informed that the standpipe (fed by a bore) at the Gunning showground can be used for carting water to supplement livestock and or to keep plants alive.