DOUGLAS Shire will be on Level 1 Water Restrictions from 2 November 2023 after dry conditions caused a drop in water levels at intakes across the shire.
Douglas Shire Council is encouraging the community to be water wise in the home and backyard.
This includes only using sprinklers and irrigation systems to water the garden overnight on no more than the three allocated days per week for Level 1 restrictions.
The Rex Creek Intake, which supplies water to Mossman and Port Douglas, has dipped below 310 mm.
Douglas Shire Mayor Michael Kerr said changing the way you water your garden can make a real difference to water demand.
“If we all water our gardens early in the morning or later in the evening on our designated days, we can reduce the pressure on our water supply while its dry,” he said.
“Water restrictions are put in place to effectively manage water supplies during drier periods and help us comply with our water licence.”
Whilst we have been blessed over the past few years, many can remember how dry this region can become at this time of the year. Effective management of water usage will assist us with preventing further restrictions.
Council holds a water licence to take water from Rex Creek. This water licence is subject to flow-related conditions that limit the maximum extraction rate based on the streamflow. As the creek flow declines, so does Council’s ability to draw enough water to satisfy demand.
These licence conditions ensure that there are adequate environmental flows in Rex Creek throughout the year.
While Level 1 water restrictions allow the use of sprinklers and irrigation systems, they must only be used on alternate days, between 6pm and 8am for a maximum of four hours.
- EVEN-numbered houses or no prescribed street number: Wed, Fri, Sun
- ODD-numbered houses: Tue, Thu, Sat
Irrigation systems are not permitted on Mondays. Please visit Council’s water restrictions page.
