ALMOST 400 farmers have been caught in the GMW rationing decision announced on Friday.
GMW had flagged rationing for Boort a fortnight ago but the final decision also includes Dingee and Calivil. 
It says rationing is introduced when irrigation demand is expected to exceed channel capacity for several weeks.
It ensures customers continue to have access to water during this time by limiting the amount of water they can use, based on their delivery shares.
Water delivery services general manager Warren Blyth said rationing was the best and fairest solution under the current circumstances. “There has been very little rain throughout summer, which has contributed to irrigation demand being exceptionally high,” he said.
“Demand has now reached the point where a rationing cycle is needed to prevent irrigators from facing considerable delays in receiving their water.
“Rationing is a tool we look to only when other options have been exhausted, but in situations like these it is the best way to ensure fairness.”
In a rationing cycle, while irrigators may have water in their accounts, they will be limited to taking a percentage of their delivery share to ensure they receive their fair share of the available capacity in the channel supplying their property.
Affected customers have been notified they will be entering a rationing cycle. During the cycle, customers will be entitled to 150 per cent of their delivery shares at each service point per 10-day cycle.
GMW said it continued to monitor all systems daily, including the Pyramid Hill area, via its rationing response team. “The team considers all factors within GMW’s control and provides timely advice to support proactive decision-making on rationing options,” it said.
“From customer orders last autumn and spring, GMW has calculated that a ration of 150 per cent will reduce demand enough to ensure orders are able to be delivered and the capacity of the network is not exceeded