No groundwater was extracted during local drought

Gosford Council did not extract ground water during the drought on the Peninsula in the last six months of last year.

The reason was not a desire to maintain the water table but because "upgrade works are currently under way at the Woy Woy Groundwater Treatment Plant", according to council's water and sewer operations manager Mr Michael Redrup.

In the six months July to December, only 248.8mm of rain had fallen on the Peninsula, less than half the average of 504.4mm for the second half of the year.

Mr Redrup said that despite rainfall declining across the region by between 33.3 per cent (one third) and 38.2 per cent, "the total storage situation actually improved by 5.5 per cent".

He said this was a result of water transferred through the "missing link" pipeline between Mardi and Mangrove Creek Dam.

"Council is aware that the Gosford region has been experiencing below average rainfall," said Mr Redrup.

"Council's Water and Sewer Directorate doesn't maintain rainfall records for the Peninsula, however, we do monitor rainfall at the Mangrove Creek Dam, and the Mardi and Somersby Water Treatment Plants," he said.

In the last 12 months Somersby Water Treatment Plant has had 1212mm of rainfall compared to 1929mm the previous year, down 37.2 per cent.

Mardi Water Treatment Plant had 1141mm of rainfall compared to 1846 the previous year, down 38.2 per cent.

Mangrove Creek Dam had 843mm of rainfall compared to 1264 the previous year, down 33.3 per cent.

Mr Redrup said the current daily water demand for the Gosford region was around 45 million litres.

In comparison, between 10 to 20 years ago, daily water demand for the Gosford region during January was over 100 million litres.

The Peninsula currently comprises around 30 per cent of total water demand across the Gosford region, he said.

"Council closely monitors total water storage over time and has developed demand management strategies to reduce historical demand," said Mr Redrup.

"We have also commissioned the Mardi to Mangrove Link which harvests water from the Wyong River and transfers it to Mangrove Creek Dam for later use.

"Despite the reduced rainfall over the last 12 months, the total storage situation actually improved by 5.5 per cent as a result of the transfers available following completion of the Mardi to Mangrove Link (12,446 ML has been transferred for the year to date)," he said.

Media Statement, 17 Jan 2013

Michael Redrup, Gosford Council