Water restrictions

What are Stage 1 restrictions?

Melbourne is in Stage 1 restrictions from 1 December 2011. Water restrictions affect how much water you can use in your home, garden, and business. You must follow these restrictions, as fines can be issued if you are caught breaking them.

How and when to water the garden

Gardens and lawns can now be watered at any time using a bucket, watering can or a hand held hose fitted with a trigger nozzle. Use of a manual or automatic watering systems is still restricted to watering days and hours as below.

Even or no-numbered properties may water on even dates of the month and odd-numbered properties may water on odd dates of the month. Everyone may water on 31 of the month. On these days you can water from 6 am – 10 am or 6 pm – 10 pm.

How and when to wash a car, bike or boat

• You can use a hose fitted with a trigger nozzle, a high pressure unit, bucket or a watering can any time and any days of the week.
• You can also continue to use a commercial car wash facility.

Pools and spas

A pool or spa can be topped up with a hand held hose fitted with a trigger nozzle or an automatic top up device.

You can fill a pool and a spa of 2,000 litres or smaller in size using a hand held hose fitted with a trigger nozzle or an automatic water top up device.  

To fill pools and spas bigger than 2000 litres, contact Yarra Valley Water. Penalties apply for breaking water restrictions.

Stage 1 water restrictions must be followed and water patrols are out in force across Melbourne. If you are issued with a warning notice and continue to breach the restrictions, you may have your water supply restricted and face fines.

Water restrictions for business

Businesses that use large amounts of water (over 10 million litres) are encouraged  to develop a water management action plan (waterMAP) for their sites. A waterMAP will help identify inefficiencies and opportunities to save water, implement water conservation activities and evaluate achievements on a yearly basis.  

Council reduces its water use by:

• Restricted watering of sports fields
• Transitioning sportsgrounds to warm season grass
• Installing water efficient taps, showerheads, toilets and waterless urinals at Council facilities, and 
• Installing water tanks at Council facilities for reuse of water in toilets. 

Links

• Melbourne Water: Water restrictions in Melbourne
• Victorian Government's Water Webpage: business and industry
• WaterMap for businesses: Yarra Valley Water