The Level 5 water restrictions also mean Orange City Council staff cannot top up the duck pond in Cook Park, leaving less water for the resident ducks, tortoises and fish.

Council spokesman Nick Redmond said people needed to be responsible with water use and caring for their pets.

"For some time our water restrictions has stopped the filling-up of outdoor water features," he said.

"Council encourages residents to look at using alternative supplies such as rainwater from a tank if they're keeping fish outside.

"We've heard of a case where gold fish from an outdoor feature have been brought inside to be housed in an indoor aquarium where evaporation is not an issue."

He said wading pools could not be filled for use by people or animals.

In Cook Park council staff had to stop replenishing the duck ponds with town water following the introduction of Level 5 water restrictions nearly three months ago.

The water level in the lower of the two connecting ponds is down by about 30 centimetres.

OCC horticulturalist Phil Tiefel said if the level continued to drop the ducks and tortoises would move.

"They'll find another spot. They move around," he said.

Mr Tiefel said the level was now below the pipe outlet.

"The foot valve on that one (lower pond) is out of the water. It's that dry," he said.

Level 5 restrictions have also stopped staff using town water on the trees and grass.

Instead 18 1000-litre pods have been placed next to the trees facing the most stress with staff regularly re-filling them with water from council bores in the Botanic Gardens and Orange cemetery.

"Certainly some of the big conifers are stressing," he said