Orange residents buy water from Blayney to fill pools, tanks and gardens

One carter told the Central Western Daily he was making several trips a day and had increased his capacity from one truck to two to keep up with demand.

Orange is under strict Level 5 water restrictions which limit garden watering to one hour a week and ban people from filling pools.

However the Central Tablelands Water supply area is under Level 3 restrictions which allow garden watering every second day.

CTW general manager Gavin Rhodes said anyone could use its four standpipes without restriction on use.

He said the water cost $8 per 1000 litres in Blayney where the supply was administered by staff during business hours.

It also cost $6.20 per 1000 litres from similar standpipes in Canowindra, Manildra and Eugowra which are open 24 hours a day but unmanned. People pay by credit card.

"We've got no control on what they use that water for," he said.

However, Mr Rhodes said it was likely CTW would move to tighter restrictions early in the new year which could limit the supply.

He said the Blayney pipe was mainly used by carters.

Mr Rhodes said the other three were introduced about two weeks ago under a federal government grant to provide water mainly for domestic and farm use to help people in the drought.

"It's a service we're providing to the community," he said.

Water carter Denis Onley said his Orange firm Dencol Transport had been busy bringing water to Orange from Blayney for gardens, pools and domestic use.

Mr Onley said the cartage cost was more expensive than CTW's water charge.

He said they filled up people's water tanks instead of pumping directly into pools and onto gardens.

"We put it in their tanks and it's up to them what they do with it," he said.

Mr Onley said he abided by Orange City Council water restrictions that forbid carters supplying Orange town water for pools and gardens and did not cart bore water.

He said residential demand was increasing.

Mr Onley said about 25 loads, each of 11,000 litres of water, were booked for one day this week.

"We only used one truck about six weeks ago but in the last six weeks we have put another truck on," he said.

Orange City Council spokesman Allan Reeder said its water restrictions only applied to water sourced from Orange's town water supply.