North East Water

North East Water will introduce water restrictions to several regional centres over the next two weeks.

The Corporation says that after a hot, dry January, water supplies in some parts of the region are declining and reaching restrictions trigger points.

Bright, Wandiligong, Porepunkah and Harrietville will move to Stage 1 restrictions on Wednesday (11 February), while Springhurst will move to Stage 2 on the same date.

Yackandandah is due to move to Stage 1 on 18 February, while Goorambat went to Stage 3 restrictions on Friday (6 February).

North East Water Operations Manager, Fiona Smith, said the region's supplies had held up well so far this summer, but the hot dry spell and the corresponding jump in usage had begun to test some systems.

"We are beginning to reach the trigger points in these areas, but on the whole the region is in far better shape than the summer of 2006-07," she said.

"With about three weeks of summer to go, we feel confident that, with a few exceptions, we can get through until it rains without having to impose the very harshest of restrictions.

"However this depends on the continuing support and cooperation of our customers, who have been diligent in keeping water use in check.

"Of course we will continue to monitor usage and storage levels in all our towns to ensure we maintain adequate supplies."

Ms Smith has also appealed to Chiltern residents to be particularly conscious of their water use in the coming weeks.

"Chiltern's reservoir is being especially affected by the increase in evaporation and consumption associated with the heat," she said.

"The pipeline from Wodonga is due to come on line next month to relieve the situation in Chiltern, but we need our customers to help us get through until then."

North East Water has capped restrictions along the Murray River at Stage 2 until the end of the financial year.

Meanwhile, Ms Smith said the larger towns of Wangaratta and Benalla were unlikely to see any restrictions.

"Lake Buffalo, which supplies Wangaratta, has only recently stopped spilling, while our Benalla storages are around 90% full," she said.

"However we don't know when it will rain again, so all customers need to remain careful with their usage no matter what level of restrictions they are on."