Level Three Mandatory Water Restrictions

What you can do

• Hand-held hosing of lawns and gardens and drip irrigation is now allowed only on Wednesdays and Sundays before 10 am and after 4 pm
• No other watering systems or sprinklers are to be used at any time
• A permit from Sydney Water is required to fill new or renovated pools bigger than 10,000 litres
• No hosing of hard surfaces including vehicles at any time
• No hoses or taps to be left running unattended, except when filling pools or containers
• Fire hoses must only be used for fire fighting purposes – not for cleaning.

Recycled water, bore water and water used for testing fire systems, fire fighting and related activities are excluded from restrictions.

Pools

To obtain a permit to fill anew or renovated pool, water efficient devices must be installed, including AM rated showerheads, tap aerators and cistern weights in single flush toilets, in the property, to help compensate for the water used in a pool. A permit is required to fill all new or renovated pools above 10,000 litres. A permit is not required to 'top up' a pool or fill a pool if it has been emptied for cleaning or basic maintenance (such as retiling or resurfacing). A renovation refers to substantial changes to the shape of the pool or major additions to the structure around the pool. Building plans must be approved by Council and Sydney Water for this type of work.

To satisfy this requirement, applicants may choose to participate in Sydney Water's retrofit program. Alternatively, a licensed plumber can install the devices.

General information

Vehicles include cars, trucks, trailers, caravans, motorcycles and boats. Boat exteriors may only be washed with a bucket, however a hose may be used to flush boat engines and a hose fitted with a trigger nozzle or high pressure cleaning device may be used to clean boat bilges and boat trailer brakes and wheels.

If you have a rainwater tank that is not connected to Sydney Water mains and contains only rainwater, using water from your tank is excluded from the mandatory water restrictions.

Cleaning garbage bins using a hose fitted with a trigger nozzle is permitted, however this should be done within an official bin wash area or on grass.

Exemptions

Existing exemptions granted during Level One will continue to apply.

There are also some new exemptions available. All Level Two exemptions generally relate to watering with a hand-held hose. These exemptions will grant permission to water either before 10am and after 4pm on any day, or at any time.

Sydney Water has identified certain groups of businesses which hold a Level One exemption, that also automatically qualify for a Level Two exemption. This group includes businesses such as landscapers and local councils. Level Two exemption stickers will be automatically mailed out to these customers.

Local councils' professional grounds persons will receive an exemption permitting them to hand water lawns and gardens before 10.00am and after 4.00pm on any day of the week. Professional grounds persons at council owned function/conference centres, caravan parks and motels will receive an exemption to water with a hand held hose before 10 am and after 4pm on any day of the week.

For other customers, information about how to apply for new exemptions is available at www.sydneywater.com.au. Sydney Water will continue to assess applications based on exemption criteria.

Saving Water

The NSW Government is looking at various options to increase the water supply, such as more frequent pumping from Tallowa Dam (in the Shoalhaven) and accessing small amounts of water at the bottom of some Sydney Catchment Authority storages that currently cannot be extracted. Some easy steps we can all take around our homes in addition to following the restrictions are taking shorter showers, and only using washing machines and dishwashers with a full load. You can still maintain your garden during drought. Simple things like mulch, compost and water crystals can help-drought proof your garden, even when restrictions limit the way you can water. More information about all aspects of the restrictions can be found at www.sydneywater.com.au.