But Roger Fletcher OAM, of Fletcher International Exports, is mending his ways.

His workforce-cum-team at the abattoir on Yarrandale Road has reduced its water use by almost 30 per cent in the past six months.

This week he called on the community to join forces with Dubbo Regional Council to conserve water.

"God willing the rains will come but what we've got to do is put ourselves in the best position," he said.

"It's no different to a game of football. The team gets themselves in the best position to play the best they can."

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Dubbo residents woke to level three water restrictions on Tuesday with level four restrictions scheduled for November 1.

Water NSW projects are expected to keep water flowing into Dubbo from Burrendong Dam until at least May 2020.

The council will seek to buy water licences to augment its entitlement of four gigalitres of groundwater from the Upper Macquarie alluvial aquifer.

Mr Fletcher said the city could "not live on" four gigalitres and conserving water was "common sense" in a "catastrophic" drought.

He tells of his employees becoming more water efficient at work and home and suggests Dubbo families appoint a "water captain", be they young or old, to make sure everyone is pulling their weight.

"This is an insurance policy to get us through until the drought breaks," Mr Fletcher said.

The businessman said saving water would also help communities downstream of Dubbo.

"We've got to look at the full community," he said.

The self-made man said Dubbo was not alone in being battered by the drought and would "come back better than ever" through teamwork.

He is eager for the city to kick a few goals in regional NSW.

"Some towns are on 150 litres per person per day while we've been using about 450," he said. "Let's challenge them."

Mr Fletcher said saving water should be the city's current priority and not "getting ready for future droughts".