IT MAY have been a wet weekend but level three water restrictions still remain in force for the Manning, Forster Tuncurry and Bulahdelah areas.
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The situation will continue to be assessed this week as MidCoast Water watches the weather conditions and river flows.
Rainfall has been received across the Manning catchment, with the Manning River and its tributaries registering encouraging rises.
"We will continue to watch the river levels for a few days before making a decision on the direction of restrictions," the general manager of MidCoast Water, Robert Loadsman, said.
"Our priority is refilling our storage at Bootawa Dam, so restrictions will remain in place until we are confident the river will rise enough to allow this to happen."
Since the rain started last Friday, water usage has dropped from an average of 26 million litres a day to 22.8 million litres last Friday, 18.9 on Saturday and 17.7 on Sunday.
The dip in water usage has been even better than MidCoast Water's daily target water consumption of 22 million litres.
"Consumption figures over the past three days have shown us two things," Mr Loadsman said.
"Firstly that the target is achievable and secondly that customers must still be using water outdoors if we can achieve this type of reduction when it rains."
Under level three restrictions sprinklers and fixed hoses are banned at all times, and hand-held hoses can be used for up to one hour every second day, outside of the hours of 10am and 4pm.
Microspray systems can be used for up to 15 minutes every second day, outside the hours of 10am and 4pm.
Watering cans and buckets can be used at any time.
The restrictions operate on an odds and evens system matching house numbers.
For example if your house number is 12, then you can water on all even days of the month, for instance the 2nd. If your house number is 13 you can water on all odd days of the month, such as the 1st.
These restrictions apply to residents supplied by the Manning scheme in the area between Crowdy Head in the north and Tarbuck Bay in the south.
Level three restrictions are also in force for the Bulahdelah water supply.
Details of the restrictions are available from MidCoast Water offices, by calling the customer service line on 1300 133 455 or online at midcoastwater.com.au.
MidCoast Water will be tracking consumption on its website at midcoastwater.com.au.
