Dubbo residents have on occasion been critical of community efforts to reduce water consumption but not so the region's new director of infrastructure Julian Geddes.
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He's suggesting a "really good response" to water restrictions in the city will result in surface or river water being "left over" at the end of the water year on June 30.
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In the past, the city has drained its surface water allocation and taken less than half of its groundwater allocation.
Water going through the John Gilbert Water Treatment Plant in South Dubbo has been a mix of 70 per cent surface water and 30 per cent groundwater.
But after Dubbo Regional Council's public information session about water last week, its director of infrastructure confirmed the ramping up of groundwater used to deliver potable water to residents and businesses.
At the event Mr Geddes also directed attention to a display of water allocation and usage data to February 2020.
Dubbo's annual surface water allocation was 6960 megalitres (ML) of which it had used 3061ML as of February 2020.
"Traditionally, Dubbo would use pretty much all of its surface water allocation but this year we're clearly going to have quite a bit of water left over," Mr Geddes said after the event.
"That's largely driven by water restrictions so the community is actually using less water.
"There's been some significant reductions.
"Although during the peak of summer, very very hot, very dry, very dusty, the community struggled at times to keep the water use very low and under the level four restrictions."
The director said Dubbo residents currently were "well below" the level four restrictions target of 280 litres per person per day.
The response "aligned" with cooler weather and some rain, he said.
"None the less we're under that level now and it's a great way forward," Mr Geddes said.
"Hopefully, we will stay there for the foreseeable future."
At the time of the briefing, Dubbo residents had been using less than the level four water restrictions target of 280 litres (L) per person per day for five weeks.
In the week ending March 9 residents used 234L per person per day.
About 40 residents attending the 90-minute briefing learned the city's annual groundwater allocation was 3850ML with 2206ML of it used by February.
The council display told of 5543ML of surface and groundwater still available with the city requiring 2634ML of it to get to the end of the water year.
