Dubbo and Bathurst should follow Orange's lead and put more effort into saving water - that's the view of Orange mayor Reg Kidd, who said the city's residents were leading the way in the Central West.
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Dubbo does not have water restrictions at present, while Bathurst is on level three.
Orange is on level four measures, which are aimed at consumption of just 200 litres per person per day.
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Cr Kidd said Orange residents last week used an average of 180 litres per person per day, which was well below the amounts used in the neighbouring cities.
"They are well over the 300. Ours is unbelievably low compared to their's," he said.
"I think that Dubbo and Bathurst, we are all regional NSW, we have a responsibility. More efficient and effective use of [water], we all have an obligation to do that."
Cr Kidd said he had seen fixed sprinklers operating in the middle of the day on public grounds in Dubbo on "38-degree days" which he said was not good use of water.
He said areas with plenty of water had to consider other areas downstream where water was limited.
"Orange residents have a fantastic record when it comes to striking the balance between being sensible with water and still having a fantastic garden," he said.
"The tool of responsible water restrictions has been one of the factors that has encouraged the Orange community to learn those lessons and make long-term and lasting changes in the way they use water.
"A head-in-the-sand approach when it comes to effective water restrictions is missing the opportunity to let communities move forward.
"The Orange community's water use rates are among the lowest in Australia. Our combined total water uses are significantly lower than our neighbouring regional cities," he said.