A regional Queensland community has been asked to cut its water use amid a record spring heatwave, with authorities warning local reservoirs are under strain.

Rockhampton Regional Council has urged residents to be mindful of how much water they use as temperatures rise across the region.

After several weeks of high water use across Rockhampton, reservoirs that supply the historic mining town of Mount Morgan are reportedly struggling to keep up with demand.

The town is in central Queensland, about 38 kilometres south-west of Rockhampton and 679 kilometres north of Brisbane.

Water councillor Edward Oram said a spike in water use amid heatwaves was expected, but the recent jump in temperatures had been higher than anticipated.

“Our treatment plants have defined processing limits and require consistent water levels to refill reservoirs throughout the day,” he said.

“Smaller plants, like the one in Mount Morgan, face greater challenges due to their limited treatment capacity.”

Outdoor watering accounts for up to 75 per cent of water use. The council wants residents to avoid watering between 9am and 4pm, when most water evaporates in the heat, and to use mulch to help soil retain moisture.

Water levels at the Mount Morgan No.7 Dam are healthy, but the council said the main concern was whether the plant could keep up with sustained demand.

“Over the last few weeks, the treatment plant has struggled to recover between peak periods during the day and is not reaching its optimal fill levels,” Oram said.

“Given this, we’re asking Mount Morgan residents to be especially mindful of their water use and to limit non-essential activities.”

Recent weeks have brought heatwave warnings and record temperatures across Queensland.

In the state’s western, the mercury passed 40 degrees at Charleville and St George on Wednesday, while further north temperatures ranged from 41-43 degrees, with 42 degrees at Mount Isa.

The heat continued moving east after monthly records fell at Birdsville (46.1 degrees) in the state’s south-west, and Bourke (44.8 degrees) in far north NSW on Tuesday.

Forecaster Weatherzone noted that Tuesday’s temperature in Birdsville was a full degree above the state’s previous October record of 45.1, also in Birdsville, in records going back to 1892.

Heatwave warnings remained active for Queensland and the Northern Territory on Thursday.

Water consumption across the central Queensland region has risen with the temperatures.

“The Glenmore Water Treatment Plant has recorded a significant processing increase, rising from an average of 65 million litres per day in September, to over 91 million litres per day in October – a jump of 26 million litres per day in just one month,” Oram said.

“It’s a timely reminder for us all to try to be more water-wise.”

This article first appeared in InDaily Queensland. Read the original here