Unfortunately, nor did it open up - but we live in hope.

From Sunday October 6, residents have had their garden watering cut to one hour a week.

They are no longer able to use of sprinklers and soaker hoses, wash cars at home and filling swimming pools, even inflatables, has been banned.

The restrictions also mean evaporative cooler air-conditioning units cannot be used from midnight-7am through the height of summer.

People are urged to limit showers to three minutes and ensure washing machines and dishwashers are full for every load.

The important thing to remember, though, is that urging (compelling) households to limit their water use is just one part of the equation.

And it is not even the greatest part of that equation.

Far more effective will be the big-ticket items that can help secure the water supply for regional centres as we face the prospect of more droughts into the future.

Capturing water when it's wet for use when it's dry seems such a simple concept but it's one we've never properly implemented as either a state or a nation.

The start of Orange's level 5 water restrictions came about a week before the state and federal governments announced a $1 billion water infrastructure package for rural and regional communities in NSW, including new and expanded dam projects.

But we have to ask, why did the water crisis in many regional centres have to reach such a critical point before the governments committed to real infrastructure solutions?

And we must also ask, what comes next? Regional communities have been saying for years that they need help and this must be the start of the governments' water solutions, not the end.

Whether it's new pipelines, new dams or increasing the capacity of existing dams across the state, our governments must now keep moving to make up for what has already been far too much time lost.

None of these solutions will be cheap, but the cost to regional communities of further inaction would be much, much worse.

The government can't make it rain, but it can ensure communities have the infrastructure in place to catch and store water when it does.