Mayor Reg Kidd said the weekend's rain and snow had flowed directly into catchments through stormwater harvesting as the ground around the city was saturated.

Spring Creek Dam is now full with water pouring over the spillway on Monday. It was only 88 per cent full last Friday.

Level 3 water restrictions will be introduced as 50 per cent capacity is the trigger point.

It is the first time since January, 2019, that Orange has had so much water available.

Two weeks ago the water supply level was 35 per cent and Orange was in its tenth month of Level 5 restrictions.

"There's two [factors]. We've had so much rain and the soil profile was absolutely chock-a-block," Cr Kidd said.

"No more can go in. Everything that we are getting is running off."

He said while Spring Creek Dam was now full Orange's other key water supply dam, Suma Park Dam, was also starting to fill up. On Monday it was 37.6 per cent full.

The spill from Spring Creek Dam is flowing to Suma Park Dam.

Cr Kidd said he believed people would continue to be waterwise. "It doesn't mean we can go silly with our water. It is a return to a more-normal time," he said.

He said the consumption target under Level 5 was 160 litres per person per day and in Orange use had consistently been below 140 litres.

"It is not a huge difference between Level 4 and Level 3," he said. Under Level 3 residents will again be allowed to water their lawns.

Sprinklers are banned and people must use a hand-held hose, micro-spray, soaker hose or drip system.

The Bureau of Meteorology said 268 millimetres of rain had fallen in Orange so far this winter.

This month has seen 120mm of rain compared to only 34mm last August.