Councillors voted at their December meeting to extend the program - which offers a reduced rate for potable drinking water for rural and non-residential ratepayers (for use only within the Oberon local government area) - for another three months.

The subsidised rate is 67 cents per kilolitre, reduced from the standard residential rate of $2.97.

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Since the introduction of the drought water subsidy in May 2018, council says a total of 5,438,000 litres of water has been purchased.

The total spent under the assistance program to date is $3251.42 from a potential residential water charge of $15,878.96.

Council says the total fee that would have been collected under the standard fees and charges for water from the standpipe (being $5.80 per thousand litres) would have been $31,540.40.

Council says the total savings to the community since the introduction of the policy is $28,288.98.

Oberon continues to receive well below average rainfall. Higher than normal rainfall is needed now to replenish subsoil moisture profiles to support pasture growth and replenish dams.