Orange mayor Reg Kidd has been told to butt out of the water debate out west, with livid Dubbo residents adamant comparing their city's water supply to the colour city's is like comparing "diamonds and zirconia".
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Last week Cr Kidd branded Dubbo Regional Council's decision to relax its water restrictions as "disgraceful", increasing the accepted daily water usage in the Macquarie region from 245 litres to 280 litres per person, per day.
Dubbo council has remained tight-lipped after the spray from Cr Kidd, but the city's residents didn't back down and believe they're well within their rights to use nearly double the amount of water Orange residents do on a daily basis.
"Not our problem their founders built a town on the side of a mountain," Jim Propert wrote in response to Cr Kidd's comments.
"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.
Dubbo council, although preferring not to weigh in on Cr Kidd's jibe, is backing its community.
Dubbo council's chief executive officer Michael McMahon applauded residents, with their water use in the week between November 4 to 10 around 220 litres per person, per day - 60 litres less than the 280 litre mark on their region's restrictions.
Not our problem their ... town's on the side of a mountain.
- Disgruntled Dubbo resident Jim Propert
At the same time Orange residents used an average of 130 litres.
"I'd like to thank the community for their co-operation and commend them on such a great job," Mr McMahon said.
Dubbo's online Drought Hub compares water usage in Dubbo to other centres, including Orange.
It reveals the colour city gets an average 880 millimetres of rain a year compared to Dubbo's 580mm, and those numbers mean residents in drier conditions naturally need to use more water.
"Dubbo has higher temperatures and therefore greater evaporation of precipitation that does fall," the hub states.
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