Water restrictions
Southern Water may be required to enact water restrictions. We only initiate water restrictions on days of Total Fire Ban, when storages become critically low due to unforeseen operational issues or due to drought conditions.
Current Water Restrictions
There are no current water restrictions.
Permitted water use during Water Restrictions
Depending on the volume of water it is necessary to conserve, either Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3 or Stage 4 restrictions will be enacted.
The permitted uses during each stage are outlined below. For full details please see Southern Water's Water Restrictions Policy.
Stage 1
Stage 1 restrictions are intended to enforce sensible water use and to prevent inefficient watering practices.
They are designed to minimise unnecessary water consumption during peak daily demand periods, but to have little impact on the amenity of residential and community assets.
Gardens & Lawns
- Manual watering systems can only be used between the hours of 6:00 am and 8:00 am and between the
hours of 8:00 pm and 10:00 pm.
- Automatic watering systems can only be used between the hours of midnight and 4:00am.
- Hand-held hoses with a trigger nozzle, buckets or watering cans may be used at any time.
Paving, concrete and other hard surfaces
- Hosing is banned except for construction purposes or in emergency, or for health or safety hazard.
Washing vehicles
- A bucket, high pressure cleaning device or commercial car wash can be used at any time for vehicle washing.
A hand-held hose fitted with a trigger nozzle can only be used for pre-rinsing and rinsing.
Pools & Spas
- To fill or top up a new or existing pool or spa with a capacity 2,000 litres or less, a hand-held hose fitted with
a trigger nozzle, a watering can or a bucket must be used.
Pools and spas of greater than 2000 litres capacity must only be filled with approval from Southern Water.
Stage 2
Stage 2 restrictions are designed to reduce non-essential use of water by approximately 50% of average
consumption. Non-essential residential and commercial use is limited to alternate days and watering of
lawns is banned
Gardens & Lawns
- Manual watering systems can only be used on gardens between the hours of 6:00 am and 8:00 am and
between the hours of 8:00 pm and 10:00 pm on alternate days.
- Automatic watering systems can only be used on gardens between midnight and 4:00am on alternate days.
- Hand-held hoses with a trigger nozzle, a bucket or watering can may be used to water gardens at any time.
- Watering of lawns is banned.
Paving, concrete and other hard surfaces
- Hosing is banned except for construction purposes or in emergency, or for health or safety hazard.
Washing vehicles
- Vehicles can be washed at home using a high pressure cleaning device or a bucket; or at a water efficient
commercial car wash.
Pools and Spas
- To fill or top up a new or existing pool or spa with a capacity 2,000 litres or less, a hand-held hose fitted with
a trigger nozzle, a watering can or a bucket must be used, and must only occur on alternate days.
- Pools and spas of greater than 2000 litres capacity must only be filled with approval from Southern Water.
Stage 3
Stage 3 restrictions are designed to reduce non-essential use of water by approximately 75% of average
consumption. Watering of residential, public and commercial gardens is limited to levels intended to prevent
long term vegetation damage and watering of lawns is banned.
Gardens & Lawns
- Watering of lawns is banned.
- Garden areas (other than lawn) may be watered only by a manual dripper system or handheld hose fitted
with a trigger mechanism between 6am-8am and 8pm-10pm on alternate days.
- Note: No other sprinkler/spray system is allowed. Automated systems are banned.
Paving, concrete and other hard surfaces
- Hosing is banned except in emergency, or for health or safety hazards, or by exemption from Southern
Water.
Washing vehicles
- Water must not be used to clean a vehicle except by means of a commercial carwash (which use less than 70
litres of water per vehicle where water is drawn from Southern Water reticu lated water system); or a bucket
filled directly from a tap (and not by means of a hose) to clean vehicle windows, mirrors and lights and for
spot-removing corrosive substances.
Pools and Spas
- Cannot be filled, added to or replaced without prior written approval from Southern Water.
Stage 4
Stage 4 water restrictions only allow the consumption of water for essential health purposes.
All non-essential uses of water are banned unless an exemption is issued by Southern Water.
Complete or part exemptions from any component of restriction may be given by Southern Water upon
application.