From 1 June, Sydney residents will face stage one water restrictions. This means residents and businesses need to limit their water use for drinking and watering plants outdoors.
To avoid fines, here are a few things that you can and can't do.
Watering lawns and gardens
You can:
- Use a watering can, bucket or hose that is fitted with a trigger nozzle. This should be done before 10am or after 4pm.
- Water your garden with watering systems that have one or more of these features: automated weather adjustment, rain sensor, soil moisture sensor.
- Water new turf for one week after it’s delivered and make sure to follow the instructions provided by your turf supplier.
You can’t
- Water gardens between 10am and 4pm
- Use standard sprinklers and watering systems at any time
- Leave hoses and taps running unattended
Cleaning vehicles and buildings
You can:
- Use a bucket, a hose fitted with a trigger nozzle or high-pressure equipment to wash vehicles, clean garbage bin, bin wash bays, bilges and essential safety components on boat trailers
- Flush boat engines
You can’t
- Wash vehicles and buildings with a hose that isn't fitted with a trigger nozzle or high-pressure cleaning equipment
- Leave hoses and taps running unattended
Cleaning hard surfaces (paths and driveways)
You can:
- Spot clean hard surfaces for health, safety or emergency reasons only using a hose fitted with a trigger nozzle or high-pressure cleaning equipment
You can’t:
- Clean hard surfaces such as paths, driveways, and paved areas with a hose as part of general cleaning
- Leave hoses and taps running unattended
What’s excluded from the restrictions?
- recycled water
- grey water (from sinks, showers, washing machines, etc.)
- rainwater
- bore water
- river water (license required)
What are the fines for breaching the restrictions?
Fines of $220 apply to individuals and $550 for businesses. Sydney Water community offices will be issuing infringement notices to those who fail to comply. There will be a 3-month grace period before fines apply.
NB: Water restriction names and rules vary throughout Australia due to local requirements. For more info about water restrictions in your state, visit the Bureau of Metereology website.
