For the year to date, Weatherzone reports Bathurst having received just 161.7 millimetres of rain, barely half of the average figure to May. 

Chifley Dam, as of May 1, sat at 57.2 per cent capacity.

The last time the dam was below 60 per cent capacity was in mid-2007. 

While Weatherzone has rain forecast for Friday, it is likely to amount to one millimetre or less. 

At Wednesday night’s policy committee meeting of Bathurst Regional Council, councillor Monica Morse said the city can’t sit idly by while it waits for significant rain that may never come. 

“Many people will be aware now that Cape Town in South Africa is running out of water. It is a city of nearly four million people and by the beginning of June it will have no water,” she said.

“What Cape Town’s done, and what we are doing, is we think it will rain – they thought it might rain and we’re thinking it might rain – and I’m not sure we should handle our water supply thinking that it might rain.” 

Cr Morse said water restrictions would help to make the most of what water is currently in storage. 

Generally, the dam needs to be at 40 per cent capacity to trigger the first level of water restrictions. 

It is possible for the city to move to water restrictions before the dam reaches that level, however council’s Water and Waste manager, Russell Deans, said doing this required careful consideration. 

“The introduction of any restrictions must be carefully considered to avoid unintended consequences and impacts, even though council could decide to commence drought actions sooner,” Mr Deans said. 

“Generally restrictions are a summer matter, and current water usage is now close to the winter average.”

He added that residents should always be water-wise, irrespective of what level the dam is at.

Council has a dedicated Waterwise page on its website that provides information of conserving water inside the home and out in the garden.  

At Wednesday’s meeting, councillors pointed out that Bathurst’s water problems aren’t restricted to the dam.

Cr Morse, along with Cr John Fry, highlighted that the villages are in bad shape and farmers are struggling. 

“The farmers I’ve been talking to out the north side, and Cr Morse has been talking to farmers on the south side, are in despair; their farm dams have gone dry,” Cr Fry said. 

“Some farmers have maybe one or two dams left out of say five. 

“My personal dam at my place went dry a month ago; I built it 26 years ago and it’s the first time it’s been dry in 26 years.”

Cr Fry asked for council to look into the possibility of using the water that has been negotiated to be pumped from a mine in Lithgow to a gold mine at Blayney. 

He asked if the water could be pumped into the Turon River catchment to provide relief for Sofala during the dry conditions. 

Mr Deans could only comment generally on the situation in the villages, as council only provides a water supply to Perthville, Eglinton and Raglan, saying all areas in the Bathurst region are experiencing very dry conditions.

“Sofala residents, like most other rural residents, rely on water tanks to collect rainwater and are being impacted by the extended period of dry weather,” he said. 

“Council sells potable water from the water filling stations in Hereford Street which can be accessed by residents for use and storage in their on-site water tanks. 

“Rural residents are also able to source water from licensed water contractors.”