Landholders on the Goondablui Artesian Bore Scheme are now using less water each month than they previously used every single day.
This has resulted in savings of 50 million litres of water every month since the scheme became operational in June 2003.
In the past, three bores flowed continuously at a combined rate of 24 litres per second.
Through the NSW and Commonwealth Government Cap and Pipe the Bores Scheme, the bores were replaced by one more centrally located bore, with headworks to control water flow.
One hundred and fifty kilometres of open bore drains were replaced by a network of 240km of underground piping.
Water is distributed to120 watering points on 15 properties across 65,000 hectares near Mungindi in the State's north-west.
Joint bore trustee, Ian Dunstan, of Goondoobluie Station, says that bore scheme has made a world of difference.
"The drought has been very severe here. Our total rainfall for 2003 was only 300 mm, so having a regular supply of clean water in places that didn't have water has made all the difference," Mr Dunstan said.
"The water savings are phenomenal. We used to use 1.7 million litres per day across the 15 properties, but we're now using less than that, 1.65 million litres, for a whole month: that's thirty times less water!
"Obviously people are understocked at the moment because of the drought, but when you compare it to what was being used before the scheme - it's quite amazing," Mr Dunstan said.
There are many other benefits as a result of the scheme's success.
"The stock don't have to travel as far because we've designed the scheme so that there are at least two watering points in each paddock," Mr Dunstan said.
"As a result, it's much easier to feed them and we don't have any more losses with stock getting bogged in the bore drains.
"It's taken a lot of pressure off the land as well. The sheep used to camp all day by the bore drain which really used to knock the land around, but they're less likely to congregate in the one area now.
"Having the fixed watering points instead of great stretches of bore drains means we can concentrate our efforts to control ferals and we don't have the problem of pigs in breakouts that we had with the bore drains.
"It also means there's less of a worry of one of our dogs picking up a bait as they're in a smaller area.
Mr Dunstan says while there were some who doubted whether the scheme would work, there's no question now that it has been a life-saver during the drought.
"This drought has been dragging on for a long time, but for the people on this scheme, water is one worry that's disappeared for them.
"To have sheep in each paddock and to know that they've got water - it's bloody marvellous!" he said.
Email a friend