Water concerns

Keepit Dam’s storage is at less than 1% and will likely cease to flow mid-month, Split Rock is 4.6%.

Namoi Water chair Steve Carolan, farmer David Phelps and Namoi Water executive officer Jon-Maree Baker.

WaterNSW’s drought roadshow stopped in Narrabri and Wee Waa last week to discuss dam operations and future contingency plans with customers.

With zero inflows into dams over the past six months and very low inflows in the year previous, the Namoi Valley is arguably the focal point of drought impact in the state at present.

“The sessions offered an important insight into localised drought impacts,” said a WaterNSW spokesman.

Keepit Dam’s storage is at less than 1% and will likely cease to flow mid-month, Split Rock is 4.6%.

WaterNSW is the state’s system operator and said its role is to oversee management of the dams and river network to deliver water to customers, communities and the environment, and to inform government decision-making on resource management.

WaterNSW executive manager of systems operations Adrian Langdon and regional manager of systems operations Andrew Scott hosted the information sessions.

Farmer and Namoi Water member David Phelps said the meeting was a “propaganda talk by WaterNSW” and the main reason he attended was to hold WaterNSW accountable for its role in the implementation of a temporary water restriction that he believes was unexpected and unnecessary.

“I’ve been in this for a long time and it’s the biggest kick in the guts I’ve had, to get a call out of the blue like that,” said Mr Phelps.