Residents have been doing an outstanding job in reducing water consumption. Water use was 33 Ml for the last seven days or 4.7Ml per day.

The drop from 38Ml per week could be explained possibly by UNE retiring for the year and level 5 water restrictions mean council is no longer watering parks.

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Accordingly there are 5135 Ml left in Malpas dam or there about, because we don't know how much siltation has occurred and evaporation rates have been high with the hot winds.

It should last for at least 12 months and if dIviding the volume, by water use, gives 155 weeks to dry. That does not take into account evaporation which could easily take half the current volume if conditions are hot dry and windy.

The biggest threat is blue green algae bloom particularly as the volume decreases and water warms up. I assume that is the reason for action on piping water from Puddledock dam.

The Sydney Morning Herald ran an article on Armidale water supply on October 23 quoting the mayor as estimating it would take 100 B doubles a day to keep the water supply functioning.

I am not sure why the council would not use the train, one is currently taking 700,000 litres twice a day to a coal mine at Lithgow. Maybe the train line is dodgy?

The article also said Orange had been funded for a water pipeline to Wyangla dam, east of Cowra. My back of the envelope calculations show the distance from Orange to Wyangla is about the same as Guyra to Copeton dam which currently holds 108,000 megalitres.

The water could be pumped to Guyra and gravity fed to Armidale, vertical elevation would be about the same as Orange.

Orange has 35,000 population, one major gold mine and another one in approval stages and Armidale has zip.

Does Orange still have a shooters party representative in state parliament? I'm sure it would not make much difference?

If council bought 20,000 megs out of Copeton dam on permanent licence, it could trade that water and make money, when things return to normal but we are dealing with Armidale.

A warning for fellow travellers, walkers and dog people on snakes, there is a very long brown python living in the reeds, near the pump shed, at the south western end of the une sports ground, adjacent to the baseball square.

It seems to like to cross the concrete causeway at about 9am. Probably a public servant, I knew a few in my time.

We have seen it twice in the last three days and it seems to avoid people.

It might not do the same for dogs. If it is a public servant, it will take half a day off on Friday, POETS day.