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Rain boosts Sydney dam levels
Sydney Morning Herald - October 21, 2004 - 3:12PM





NSW Premier Bob Carr today said overnight rain had provided a 0.3 per cent increase in Sydney's dam levels, but warned NSW was not out of the woods.

Mr Carr today told parliament combined dam levels were now at 42.2 per cent.

He said in the last 24 hours a week's worth of water, equivalent to 1,800 Olympic swimming pools, had flowed into the catchment.

"It is great to report that rain has arrived - and importantly arrived in the right places," Mr Carr told parliament.

"Mother Nature has smiled on us this week with a very welcome drenching."

But Mr Carr cautioned the community's efforts so far to curtail water use must not stop because of the rain.

"This is just a small respite from the grip of the worst drought in more than 100 years," he said.

"We are still not out of the woods by any means. For our dams to get back to 70 per cent capacity, we need 40mm a day for seven consecutive days."