Narromine residents are being urged to strictly conserve water this weekend after a critical bore pump failure reduced the town’s water supply to just 70 per cent of normal capacity.

Narromine Shire Council Mayor Ewen Jones said the mechanical failure of one of council’s main raw water bore pumps had forced the immediate introduction of extreme water restrictions to ensure sufficient supply for essential use and firefighting.

“One of our main pumps has failed, it’s one of those unavoidable mechanical things,” Cr Jones said.

“We’ve brought a reserve pump online, but it’s only giving us about 70 per cent of our normal supply.”

With Narromine experiencing extreme heat - reaching 44 degrees on Friday - and reservoir levels already low, Cr Jones said council had no option but to act quickly.

“To make sure we can maintain water for firefighting and essential household use, we’re asking people to stop watering lawns, washing cars and filling swimming pools,” he said.

Under the extreme water restrictions, residents may continue to use water for normal household purposes, but the following activities are prohibited until at least Monday, or further notice:

• Garden watering

• Filling of swimming pools

• Washing of vehicles

Failure of a pump has put stress on Narromine Shire's water supplies.

Cr Jones stressed that the restrictions were not excessive given the circumstances, but community cooperation was vital.

“In the big scheme of things, it’s not extreme, but it is very important,” he said.

“You don’t want to be in a position where you don’t have water available for fire.

"That’s critical.”

Council has confirmed that water quality has not been affected, and the town’s water supply remains safe to drink and use.

Repairs to the failed bore pump are scheduled to begin on today, with council staff working to restore full supply capacity as quickly as possible.

Cr Jones said the system was expected to return to normal early next week, subject to repair progress and reservoir recovery.

Council has been sharing updates through social media and local radio to reach residents as quickly as possible.

“We’ve put it out on Facebook and spoken with the radio station this morning,” Cr Jones said.

“We’ll keep people informed as the situation develops.”

Residents are urged to comply with the restrictions and remain water-wise until council advises otherwise.

Every drop saved matters!