Residential water restrictions

There are currently no water restrictions in place across the MidCoast region.

We introduce water restrictions when the levels in our supply rivers become too low to pump and we can no longer keep our storage dams full.

Sometimes we have different towns on different levels of water restrictions, depending on the situation at each of our supply rivers.

Our water restrictions system is guided by our Drought Contingency and Emergency Response Plan(PDF, 2MB) .

To find out more about our water restrictions system, see our FAQs.

Refer to the following tabs to find out what you can and can't do at home during each level of water restrictions. 

Level 1

Moderate (Level 1)

  • You can use one handheld hose for up to one hour every second day*
  • Sprinklers can be used for 15 minutes as part of your one-hour allocation every second day
  • No outdoor water use between 9am-4pm

* If your house is an even number, you can water on the even days of the month. If your house is an odd number, you can water on the odd days of the month. Outside water use is not permitted on the 31st of the month.


Watering gardens and lawns:

  • Use one handheld hose for up to one hour every second day, before 9am or after 4pm
  • Buckets and watering cans can be used at any time
  • Garden irrigation systems can be used for 15 minutes as part of your one-hour allocation every second day, before 9am or after 4pm
  • There is a total ban on all unattended hoses


New turf:


Cleaning vehicles, boats and outboard motors:

  • Cars and boats can be rinsed on the lawn with a bucket and handheld hose on your allocated days
  • Boat motors can be flushed for a maximum of five minutes on lawn areas only


Swimming pools:

  • Topping up your pool is permitted with a handheld trigger nozzle hose as part of your one-hour allocation every second day
  • Your hose must be attended at all times
  • Use a pool cover to reduce evaporation
  • Refilling an existing pool from empty is not permitted

  • See our swimming pool fact sheet(PDF, 439KB) for more information


Cleaning driveways, paved areas, windows, walls and hard surfaces:

  • Only buckets are permitted to be used for cleaning these surfaces
  • For trades such as roof cleaners, driveway cleaners, window washers and painters, see business water restrictions


Garden ponds:

  • Topping up garden ponds is permitted with a handheld trigger nozzle hose as part of your one-hour allocation every second day
  • Your hose must be attended at all times
  • Watering can or bucket top-ups are permitted at any time


Fountains:

  • There is a total ban on the use of fountains.

Level 2

High (Level 2)

  • You can use one handheld hose for up to 30 minutes every second day*
  • Sprinklers can be used for 15 minutes as part of your 30-minute allocation every second day
  • No outdoor water use between 9am-4pm

* If your house is an even number, you can water on the even days of the month. If your house is an odd number, you can water on the odd days of the month. Outside water use is not permitted on the 31st of the month.


Watering gardens and lawns:

  • Use one handheld hose for up to 30 minutes every second day, before 9am or after 4pm
  • Buckets and watering cans can be used at any time
  • Garden irrigation systems can be used for 15 minutes as part of your 30-minute allocation every second day, before 9am of after 4pm
  • There is a total ban on all unattended hoses


New turf:


Cleaning vehicles, boats and outboard motors:

  • Cars and boats can be rinsed on the lawn with a bucket and handheld hose on your allocated days
  • Boat motors can be flushed for a maximum of five minutes on lawn areas only


Swimming pools:

  • Topping up your pool is permitted with a handheld trigger nozzle hose as part of your 30-minute allocation every second day
  • Your hose must be attended at all times
  • Use a pool cover to reduce evaporation
  • Refilling an existing pool from empty is not permitted
  • See our swimming pool fact sheet(PDF, 439KB) for more information


Cleaning driveways, paved areas, windows, walls and hard surfaces

  • Only buckets are permitted to be used for cleaning these surfaces

  • For trades such as roof cleaners, driveway cleaners, window washers and painters, see business water restrictions


Garden ponds

  • Topping up garden ponds is permitted with a handheld trigger nozzle hose as part of your 30-minute allocation every second day
  • Your hose must be attended at all times
  • Watering can or bucket top-ups are permitted at any time


Fountains

  • There is a total ban on the use of fountains.

Level 3

Very high (Level 3)

  • You can use one handheld hose for up to 10 minutes only every second day*
  • There is a total ban on the use of sprinklers and garden irrigation systems
  • No outdoor water use between 9am-4pm

* If your house is an even number, you can water on the even days of the month. If your house is an odd number, you can water on the odd days of the month. Outside water use is not permitted on the 31st of the month.


Watering gardens and lawns:

  • Use one handheld hose for up to 10 minutes every second day, before 9am or after 4pm
  • Buckets and watering cans can be used as part of your 10-minute allocation
  • There is a total ban on the use of sprinklers and garden irrigation systems
  • There is a total ban on all unattended hoses


New turf:


Cleaning vehicles, boats and outboard motors:

  • Cars and boats can be rinsed on the lawn with a bucket and handheld hose on your allocated days
  • Boat motors can be flushed for a maximum of five minutes on lawn areas only


Swimming pools:

  • Topping up your pool is permitted with a handheld trigger nozzle hose as part of your 10-minute allocation every second day
  • Your hose must be attended at all times
  • Use a pool cover to reduce evaporation
  • Refilling an existing pool from empty is not permitted
  • See our swimming pool fact sheet(PDF, 439KB) for more information


Cleaning driveways, paved areas, windows, walls and hard surfaces:

  • Only buckets are permitted to be used for cleaning these surfaces
  • For trades such as roof cleaners, driveway cleaners, window washers and painters, see business water restrictions


Garden ponds:

  • Topping up garden ponds is only permitted with a watering can or bucket


Fountains:

  • There is a total ban on the use of fountains.

     

Level 4

Severe (Level 4)

  • There is a total ban on the use of outdoor hoses
  • There is a total ban on the use of sprinklers and garden irrigation systems
  • Only recycled or grey water to be used outdoors
  • No car or boat washing
  • No topping up swimming pools


Watering gardens and lawns:

  • Only use buckets or watering cans containing recycled or grey water


New turf:

  • There is a total ban on installing and/or watering new turf


Cleaning vehicles, boats and outboard motors:

  • No car or boat washing (only permitted for health and safety e.g. to clean your windscreen)
  • Boat motors can be flushed for up to three minutes on lawn areas only


Swimming pools:


Cleaning driveways, paved areas, windows, walls and hard surfaces

  • Cleaning hard surfaces with water is not permitted


Garden ponds

  • There is a total ban on topping up garden ponds


Fountains

  • There is a total ban on the use of fountains.

     

Level 5

Emergency (Level 5)

  • There is a total ban on the use of outdoor hoses
  • There is a total ban on the use of sprinklers and garden irrigation systems
  • Only recycled or grey water to be used outdoors
  • No car or boat washing
  • No topping up swimming pools


Watering gardens and lawns:

  • Only use buckets or watering cans containing recycled or grey water


New turf:

  • There is a total ban on installing and/or watering new turf


Cleaning vehicles, boats and outboard motors:

  • No car or boat washing (only permitted for health and safety e.g. to clean your windscreen)
  • Boat motors can be flushed for up to three minutes on lawn areas only, using a container to collect and recycle the flushing water


Swimming pools:


Cleaning driveways, paved areas, windows, walls and hard surfaces:

  • Cleaning hard surfaces with water is not permitted


Garden ponds:

  • There is a total ban on topping up garden ponds


Fountains:

  • There is a total ban on the use of fountains.

 

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