In 1961 a residents progress association was formed. A prime goal was the building of a reservoir—supplied from the river—on Armidale hill overlooking the town. To defray costs and gain council acceptance, a large part of the work was performed by volunteers. This scheme began supplying the town on 17 February 1961. Up to the 1970s, Carrick's growth was limited by the lack of town sewerage—which restricted the minimum allotment size—and reluctance of landowner's to subdivide property. A 1977 planning study found that the land structure allowed most of the town to be served by a gravity fed system and recommended construction. As of 2008 the majority of the town was connected to reticulated water and sewerage.