The amount of water being used by Dubbo residents has plummeted.
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Residents used 220 litres (L) of water per person per day between November 4 and November 10, 60L less than the rejigged level four water restrictions target of 280L.
Dubbo Regional Council is cheering on the city after copping a blast from Orange mayor Reg Kidd for increasing the target from 245L to 280L on November 4 as part of its revision of the restrictions prompted by business and community feedback.
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This week the council's chief executive officer applauded residents, some of whom have expressed their annoyance at the Orange mayor.
"I'd like to thank the community for their co-operation and commend them on such a great job," Michael McMahon said.
The council's director of infrastructure Julian Geddes said calculating the daily usage from weekly figures allowed for variances in usage such as on the city's two designated watering days when residents were allowed to water outdoors for 30 minutes before 9am and after 6pm.
Dubbo residents struggled to achieve water usage targets of level two and three water restrictions which permitted watering of lawns and gardens using the odds and evens system.
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The council has not fired back at Cr Kidd but its online Drought Hub compares water usage in Dubbo to "other centres" including Orange which gets an average 880 millimetres(mm) of rain a year compared to Dubbo's 580mm.
"Dubbo has higher temperatures and therefore greater evaporation of precipitation that does fall," it states.
Cr Kidd called Dubbo's revised water restrictions and usage target "disgraceful".
He told of Orange's endeavours since the last drought including building the 39-kilometre pipeline from the Macquarie River to the city, establishing a storm water harvesting system and raising the Suma Park Dam wall.
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Daily Liberal Facebook page users have told the Orange mayor to butt out.
"Not our problem their founders built a town on the side of a mountain," Jim Propert wrote.
"It is like comparing diamonds and zirconia," Susan Rootes insisted. "Dubbo has a real water supply."
"Increased extractions upstream is one reason Burrendong is so empty," Narelle Grant noted.