Council Water Restrictions FAQs

Here are the answers to some of our frequently asked questions regarding Council, it’s businesses and water restrictions. 

How do water restrictions affect Singleton Council?

Just like other businesses, Council is considered a non-residential / commercial water customer. Council and its businesses must comply with water restrictions levels and the restricted activities for the use of water from the drinking water supply.

What is Council doing to reduce its use of town water?

Singleton Council have undertaken a review of all Council’s water usage and have put measures in place to ensure the current water usage is reduced, but also ensuring the needs of the community are met. Council has turned off the water for many of its own assets including selected open spaces and nature strips as well as reducing watering of parks, where possible, by 20%. Council has also installed a recycled water reuse scheme at its Sewage Treatment Plant. This scheme reuses recycled water for washdown at the Plant and saves over 2,000L a day of potable water.

Under Level 3 water restrictions, Council’s businesses, like many businesses across the Singleton LGA will prepared Water Saving Action Plans (WSAPs) to guide reductions of their daily water usage. When Level 4 water restrictions came into force, all of Council’s businesses will operate in line with the water reduction activities/targets in their WSAPs.

Will Council’s public pool still open with increasing water restrictions?

Council’s public swimming pool is a high priority sporting and recreational facilities for Council. It provide health and wellbeing benefits during the hot summer weather, but also provide significant social benefits for communities to escape the pressures of the drought. It will remain open for the foreseeable future.

Does Council own, operate and manage Glennies Creek Dam?

No, Singleton Council does not own, operate or manage Glennies Creek Dam. The Dam is managed by the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment through WaterNSW, where groundwater is owned by the Crown.

Where does Singleton Council’s water come from and what is Council’s allocation?

Singleton Council has a number of water access license from various water sources.  As the local water utility, water is accessed from Glennies Creek Dam under a high security water entitlement for 5 gigalitres (GL) per annum.

Council operates a number of licensed extraction points across the Singleton LGA where water is drawn from the Hunter River and other ground water sources. This water is primarily used for the irrigation of public parks and sporting facilities.

Where does the water come from for watering Council parks, gardens and sporting fields?

Much of the water for Council’s parks, gardens and sporting fields comes from bore water and/or river water under license with WaterNSW, and is not from the treated drinking water supply and this water is not subjected to Council’s water restrictions.

However, where possible Council complies with residential level 2 water restriction watering times, that is between 6am – 9am and 6pm – 9pm every second day , due to the benefits such as minimal evaporation. Our irrigation system is controlled digitally.

Council will only water grounds during the day time if required, due to maintenance activities such as laying new turf, top dressing or seeding. If you do see our irrigation system at work outside 6am – 9am and 6pm – 9pm, please call our Customer Service Centre on T 02 6578 7290 as this could be a fault in the irrigation system.

Who do I call if I see a leak by the road or in a park or reserve?

Call Council’s Customer Service Centre on T 02 6578 7290 as soon as you can to report the location.  

Alternatively, a report can be made online by visiting www.singleton.nsw.gov.au. Council will work to fix every reported leak as quickly as possible.

Why do the flying fox in Burdekin Park continue to be spritzed with water if we are under water restrictions?

The grey-headed flying fox is protected as a vulnerable species under Federal and NSW legislation and Council must comply with this legislation, as well as the guidelines set by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage to manage the camps and prevent extinction. A major factor threatening the survival of this species is heat stress.

That’s why Council has installed spritzing systems in the trees at Burdekin Park. This state-of-the-art sprinkler system is only used in “heat stress” events that is consecutive days where the mercury rises over 35 degrees.

The sprinkler system is controlled digitally and remotely, and is used sparingly. Under Council’s Water Restrictions levels and permanent Water Wise rules, water can be used to cool down animals (or people) in heat stress events at any time.