Toowoomba region’s dams enjoy 150mm combined after weekend rain events

The Toowoomba Regional Council has revealed how much rain went into the city’s water catchments over the weekend.

Cooby Dam.

The Toowoomba region’s three major water sources have enjoyed a combined 150mm over the weekend, with the council hoping it will counteract the impacts of evaporation.

TRC water and waste general manager Damian Platts told councillors at Tuesday’s ordinary meeting that Cressbrook, Perseverance and Cooby Dams all received generous downpours following several days of wet weather.

“At the end of the month, we’re sitting on 31.8 per cent on the dams,” he said.

“I’m very pleased to say that over the past three days, Cressbrook received 46.2mm, Perseverance 69mm and Cooby received 38.8mm, so we are seeing a bit of rain in there.”

Mr Platts said the dams lost a combined 834 megalitres of water from evaporation, due to the extreme hot weather also experienced by the region so far.

“November was a pretty hot month, we had 15 days over 30 degrees and 10 days over 35 degrees, so you can see those evaporation numbers in the dams are relatively high,” he said.

“The hotter and windier it is, the more that blows away.”

Mr Platts said combined levels were slated to go below 30 per cent at some point early in 2021.

High level water restrictions will be implemented once the levels drop below 25 per cent.

To check out the latest rainfall numbers and dam levels, head to the council website.