CLOSE to 50 reminder notices regarding water restrictions across the region have been already sent out to Orange residents.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
This does not auger well for the coming months.
If people continue to flout the rules about water usage it can only be a matter of time before harsher penalties are handed out.
Which brings us to the question that many of us are already asking: Are we willing to become a city of dobbers?
Which brings us to the question that many of us are already asking: Are we willing to become a city of dobbers ...
Responses on social media already suggest there are plenty of people in Orange not complying with the extreme water restrictions - with as many as 48 to have received reminders so far.
The Central Western Daily's Facebook page became the hub of much lively discussion this week when one reader confessed he was not adhearing to Orange City Council's regulations.
The reader claimed to have already spent so much money stocking his garden that he couldn't affort to see it ruined due to a lack of water.
While many can understand his concerns, or even sympathise, he's not doing the right thing when it comes to converving the city's water.
Of course as we move deeper into this restrictions period, council will be relying heavily on tip-offs from the public if is to catch those responsible for the worst breaches.
That will usually be a neighbour or someone living in the same street, and it may not be an easy call to make.
Australians are not generally brought up to "dob" - except, of course, in the case of assisting a criminal investigation.
That is not what we have here, however, we must be approaching the point where Orange water's situation is so dire that even the most easy-going neighbour would no longer be willing to turn a blind eye when they see someone breaking the rules.
That could create some neighbourhood tensions and the perhaps some frosty greetings at the annual Christmas - but that's not to say the dobbers are in the wrong.
If one neighbour is playing by the rules it's not hard to imagine them quickly becoming frustrated that another isn't, especially as your gardens continue to wilt ...
If a quick call to council resolves that frustration, then so be it.
And if you really don't want to be dobbed in to council, then the best bet is to comply with the restrictions.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
- Send us a letter to the editor using the form below: