Water restrictions in Australia - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Water restrictions have been enacted in many cities and regions in Australia, which is the Earth's driest inhabited continent, in response to chronic water shortages resulting from the drought

Drought in Australia

Drought in Australia is defined as rainfall over a three month period being in the lowest decile of what has been recorded for that region in the past. This definition takes into account that drought is a relative term and rainfall deficiencies need to be compared to typical rainfall patterns...

. Depending upon the location, these can include restrictions on watering lawn

Lawn

A lawn is an area of aesthetic and recreational land planted with grasses or other durable plants, which usually are maintained at a low and consistent height. Low ornamental meadows in natural landscaping styles are a contemporary option of a lawn...

s, using sprinkler systems

Irrigation sprinkler

Irrigation sprinklers are sprinklers used on farms, golf courses, and yards, to provide water to vegetation and plants in the event of drought. They may also be used for recreation, as a cooling system, or to keep down the amount of airborne dust....

, washing vehicle

Vehicle

A vehicle is a device that is designed or used to transport people or cargo. Most often vehicles are manufactured, such as bicycles, cars, motorcycles, trains, ships, boats, and aircraft....

s, hosing pavement

Pavement (material)

Road surface or pavement is the durable surface material laid down on an area intended to sustain vehicular or foot traffic, such as a road or walkway. In the past cobblestones and granite setts were extensively used, but these surfaces have mostly been replaced by asphalt or concrete. Such...

, refilling swimming pool

Swimming pool

A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...

s, etc. Increasing population, evidence of drying climates, coupled with corresponding reductions in the supply of drinking water have to led various state governments to consider alternative water sources to supplement existing sources, and to implement "water inspectors" who can issue penalties to those who waste water.

As of July 2007, some areas and towns have no water restrictions

Outdoor water-use restriction

An outdoor water-use restriction is a ban or other lesser restrictions put into effect that restricts the outdoor use of water supplies. Often called a watering ban or hosepipe ban, it can affect:*irrigation of lawns*car washing...

, including the Northern Territory

Northern Territory

The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...

, Regional Tasmania

Tasmania

Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...

, Newcastle

Newcastle, New South Wales

The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...

, Bathurst

Bathurst, New South Wales

-CBD and suburbs:Bathurst's CBD is located on William, George, Howick, Russell, and Durham Streets. The CBD is approximately 25 hectares and surrounds two city blocks. Within this block layout is banking, government services, shopping centres, retail shops, a park* and monuments...

and Dubbo. There are also a few parts of Australia where the water storage levels are at or close to 100%, such as Taree

Taree, New South Wales

Taree is a city on the Mid North Coast, New South Wales, Australia. Taree and nearby Cundletown were settled in 1831 by William Wynter. Since then Taree has grown to a population of around 20,000 people and is the centre of a significant agricultural district. It is 16 km from the sea coast,...

. Many states describe the different levels of water restrictions in terms of "stages": starting at Stage 1, for the least restrictive, going up as far as Stage 8. The highest level reached in the current drought has been stage 7 for Kingaroy

Kingaroy, Queensland

Kingaroy is an agricultural town in Queensland, Australia, approximately or about 2½ hours drive north-west of the state capital Brisbane. The town is situated on the junction of the D'Aguilar and the Bunya Highways...

. There are different definitions given to each "stage" in different States.

Australian Capital Territory

There are presently four stages of temporary water restrictions which can be imposed by ACTEW Corporation

ACTEW Corporation

ACTEW Corporation Limited is a government-owned company with assets and investments in water, wastewater, electricity, gas and telecommunications. ACTEW is wholly owned by the ACT Government...

	Stage 1	Stage 2	Stage 3	Stage 4
Sprinklers and irrigation:	Alternate days, 7-10am & 7-10pm	Drippers only, 7-10am & 7-10pm	No reticulation
Hand-watering gardens and lawns:	No restrictions	Alternate days, 7-10am & 7-10pm	No watering lawns; watering plants alternate days, 7-10am & 7-10pm	Greywater Greywater Greywater is wastewater generated from domestic activities such as laundry, dishwashing, and bathing, which can be recycled on-site for uses such as landscape irrigation and constructed wetlands... only
Swimming pools:	No emptying or filling; Topping-up allowed		No topping-up, emptying or filling
Car washing:	Once a week, or at commercial car wash	Once a month, or at commercial car wash	Only at commercial car washes	No car washing
Window cleaning:	Only with bucket or high-pressure, low-volume cleaner	No window cleaning

Canberra

Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...

was subject to Stage 1 restrictions from 1 November 2005, which were increased to Stage 2 after a year on 1 November 2006. The continuing drought led to a further increase to Stage 3 from 16 December 2006; the restrictions were maintained at Stage 3 throughout 2007 and 2008. From 1 November 2010 Canberra moved to Permanent Water Saving Rules due to heavy rain bringing water storages close to capacity.

New South Wales

The different classification levels of water restrictions in New South Wales vary widely, and are set by the different authorities responsible for water throughout the state.

Sydney

The following Levels have been used by Sydney Water

Sydney Water

Sydney Water is a New South Wales government owned corporation that provides drinking water, wastewater and some stormwater services to Sydney, Illawarra and the Blue Mountains, in Australia...

to describe the different stages of water restrictions it has imposed:

	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3
Sprinklers and irrigation:	No sprinklers at any time; drippers only
Hand-watering gardens and lawns:	No restrictions	3 times weekly, before 9am or after 5pm	2 times weekly, before 10am or after 4pm
Swimming pools:	No restrictions	No filling pools over 10,000L without permit
Hard surfaces:	No hosing hard surfaces (paths, driveways, cars, floors and buildings)

Falling dam levels prompted Sydney Water to impose Level 1 water restrictions on the Sydney area from 1 October 2003.
When these restrictions failed to stem the reduction in the city's water supplies as a result of continuing drought, and with dam levels dropping below 50 per cent, Level 2 water restrictions were introduced from 1 June 2004. Further reductions in dam levels to below 40 per cent of capacity led to an increase to Level 3 water restrictions from 1 June 2005. Level 3 water restrictions were in place as of February 2008. Since June 2009, though, Sydney Water replaced water restrictions with Water Wise Rules. The Rules are:

All hoses must now have a trigger nozzle.
Hand held hoses, sprinklers and watering systems may be used only before 10 am and after 4 pm on any day - to avoid the heat of the day
No hosing of hard surfaces such as paths and driveways. Washing vehicles is allowed.
Fire hoses may be used for fire fighting activities only.

To deal with its water shortage, New South Wales has followed the same path as Western Australia, announcing a new desalination plant for Sydney

Sydney

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

to cost $1.3 billion.

Sydney Water has imposed fines of $200 for violations of the rules for individuals, $500 for businesses, and $2,200 for water theft. Rules are enforced by Sydney Water staff through random checks.

Regional NSW

As different towns in regional New South Wales take their drinking water from different sources, different levels of water restrictions apply. The levels or stages which apply in certain towns are as follows:

Albury
Albury, New South Wales
Albury is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury Local Government Area...

- no restrictions
Bathurst
Bathurst, New South Wales
-CBD and suburbs:Bathurst's CBD is located on William, George, Howick, Russell, and Durham Streets. The CBD is approximately 25 hectares and surrounds two city blocks. Within this block layout is banking, government services, shopping centres, retail shops, a park* and monuments...

- no restrictions
Cobar
Cobar, New South Wales
-Notable people:*Nik Kosef, former rugby league player for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, 1996 premiership player, NSW & Australia representative*Ernie Toshack, cricketer, member of Bradman's Invincibles* Jemma Heather, state representative 4 times....

- stage 5
Dubbo - no restrictions
Gosford
Gosford, New South Wales
Gosford is a city located on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia, approximately 76 km north of the Sydney central business district...

- stage 4 from 1 October 2006
Goulburn
Goulburn, New South Wales
Goulburn is a provincial city in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Goulburn Mulwaree Council Local Government Area. It is located south-west of Sydney on the Hume Highway and above sea-level. On Census night 2006, Goulburn had a population of 20,127 people...

had Stage 5 water restrictions imposed from 1 October 2004, and went on to win a National Water Conservation Award for Excellence due to the water which had been conserved. From 5 July 2007, Golburn relaxed its water restrictions to Level 3.
Griffith
Griffith, New South Wales
Griffith is a city in south-western New South Wales, Australia. It is also the seat of the City of Griffith local government area. Like the Australian capital, Canberra and the nearby town of Leeton, Griffith was designed by Walter Burley Griffin. Griffith was named after Sir Arthur Griffith the...

- stage 2 introduced on 27 November 2007
Leeton
Leeton, New South Wales
Leeton is a town in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. Leeton is situated approximately 550 km west of Sydney and 450 km north of Melbourne in the productive Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area. Leeton is administered by Leeton Shire Council...

- level 3 introduced on 9 October 2007 but lowered to level 2 on 1 November 2008
Orange
Orange, New South Wales
Orange is a city in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the state capital, Sydney, at an altitude of . Orange has an estimated population of 39,329 and the city is a major provincial centre....

- level 5a from early 2010
Port Macquarie - stage 1 from September 2006
Taree
Taree, New South Wales
Taree is a city on the Mid North Coast, New South Wales, Australia. Taree and nearby Cundletown were settled in 1831 by William Wynter. Since then Taree has grown to a population of around 20,000 people and is the centre of a significant agricultural district. It is 16 km from the sea coast,...

- summer water saving restrictions
Wagga Wagga - level 1 introduced on 10 December 2007 and raised to level 4 on 3 July 2009.

Northern Territory

Currently, no water restrictions apply in Darwin

Darwin, Northern Territory

Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...

Queensland

Some of the details of the different stages of water restrictions which apply in Queensland for the residential sector are as follows:

	Stage 1	Stage 2	Stage 3	Stage 4	Stage 5	Stage 6	Stage 7
Reticulation sprinklers:	3 days/week	No sprinklers					No external water use without permit
Sprinkler times:	4-8am & 4-8pm	No sprinklers
Hose watering of gardens:	3 days/week		No hosing
Hose watering times:	4-8am & 4-8pm	Before 7am & after 7pm	No hosing
Bucket/watering can watering times:	Any time			3 days/week; 4-8am & 4-8pm	No watering lawns; Otherwise 3 days/week, 4-7pm
Pool filling:	Any time			Requires approval
Topping-up pools:	4-8am & 4-8pm, 3 days/week	7pm-7am, 3 days/week		4-8am & 4-8pm, 3 days/week	4-7pm, 3 days/week	Log required
Hosing hard surfaces:	Prohibited at all times
Car/window washing:	Hose or bucket		Bucket only		Bucket only, to wash mirrors, lights & windows

Although some regions of Queensland have had traditionally high rainfalls, some regions of Queensland have been subject to the toughest water restrictions in place in Australia. The highest level of water restrictions reached in the current drought has been stage 7 for Kingaroy

Kingaroy, Queensland

. Toowoomba

Toowoomba, Queensland

Toowoomba is a city in Southern Queensland, Australia. It is located west of Queensland's capital city, Brisbane. With an estimated district population of 128,600, Toowoomba is Australia's second largest inland city and its largest non-capital inland city...

, Brisbane

Brisbane

Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...

and South East Queensland are currently at Level 6 restrictions.

On 13 May 2005, 13 local councils in southeast Queensland, including those in Brisbane, agreed to impose Stage 1 water restrictions, due to drying dams.
These restrictions were increased to Stage 2 from 3 October 2005, which at the time were described as the "toughest water restrictions in southeast Queensland's history", except the Gold Coast which had been on Stage 5 restrictions since 2004.
Stage 3 water restrictions were imposed on the region from 13 June 2006 amid projections that water storage levels would drop to 5% within 26 months.
Water restrictions continued to increase, to Stage 4 from 1 November 2006, stage 5 from 10 April 2007, and up to Stage 6 from 23 November 2007.

The Queensland Water Commission

Queensland Water Commission

The Queensland Water Commission is a Queensland Government agency established to develop long term water supply strategies. The Commission is chaired by Mary Boydell and the current chief executive officer is John Bradley....

has relaxed water restrictions, with the introduction of High Level Water restrictions as of 31 July 2008.
Other towns and regions of Queensland are subject to different levels of water restrictions, as set out below:

Cairns - Level 1 restrictions from October 2002 till about January 2004.
Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...

- stage 6 from 23 November 2007, stage 5 from 10 April 2007, stage 4 from 1 November 2006. The Hinze Dam, which is the Gold Coast's main water supply reached 100% in January 2008 and the coast now has no water restrictions.
Kingaroy - Stage 7 from 1 October 2007
Toowoomba - stage 6 from 23 November 2007, stage 5 from 26 September 2006. In 2006, the town council proposed the use of recycled wastewater
Sewage treatment
Sewage treatment, or domestic wastewater treatment, is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater and household sewage, both runoff and domestic. It includes physical, chemical, and biological processes to remove physical, chemical and biological contaminants...

to supplement town water from dams, however the scheme was rejected by the town's population and the town has since resorted to drilling artesian
Artesian aquifer
An artesian aquifer is a confined aquifer containing groundwater under positive pressure. This causes the water level in a well to rise to a point where hydrostatic equilibrium has been reached. This type of well is called an artesian well...

and sub-artesian bores as an alternative source of drinking water.
Townsville - stage 2 from 15 November 2006, stage 1 from 12 February 2007

Source: Queensland Water Restrictions, Queensland Water Commission

South Australia

The different levels of residential water restrictions which have been applied to different regions of South Australia by SA Water

SA Water

SA Water was established by the proclamation of the South Australian Water Corporation Act 1994 on 1 July 1995. Its predecessor was known as Engineering and Water Supply Department . E&WS evolved from the Waterworks and Drainage Commission, which was established in 1856...

are as follows:

	Permanent Water Conservation Measures	Eyre Peninsula	Level 2	Level 3
Reticulation sprinklers:	5pm-10am (6pm-10am in DST)	6pm-8am (8pm-8am in DST)	8pm-8am, 3 days/week	Prohibited
Hand-held hose watering and drippers:	Any time			1 day/week with trigger nozzle, 6-9am or 5-8pm
Bucket/watering cans:	Any time
Swimming pools:	No restrictions	No filling without permit
Car washing:	Bucket, commercial car wash or hose with trigger nozzle only		Bucket or commercial car wash only
Hard surfaces:	No washing hard surfaces

Different water restrictions levels apply to different parts of the state, depending upon the source of drinking water used in that region. SA Water have produced a map showing the current areas of water restrictions.

Areas using Murray River water

Adelaide

Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...

and much of south-eastern South Australia takes its drinking water from the Murray River

Murray River

The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...

. Permanent water conservation measures were put into place in this region in 2003,
and as a result of the most severe drought to hit the region since the 1940s, Level 2 water restrictions were imposed from 22 October 2006 on those areas (including metropolitan Adelaide) which use water from the Murray River.
Even lower inflows to the Murray River over the course of 2006 led to the even tougher Level 3 water restrictions being imposed on the region from 1 January 2007,
which remain in place.

Other areas

The Eyre Peninsula

Eyre Peninsula

Eyre Peninsula is a triangular peninsula in South Australia. It is bounded on the east by Spencer Gulf, the west by the Great Australian Bight, and the north by the Gawler Ranges. It is named after explorer Edward John Eyre who explored some of it in 1839-1841. The coastline was first explored by...

draws most of its drinking water from underground basins,
which progressively became depleted through drought and high consumption, prompting the State Government to introduce water restrictions on the entire region from 6 December 2002, apart from Whyalla. The water restrictions for the peninsula remain in force as of 2008.

Conversely, the areas in the south east of the State, south of the town of Keith

Keith, South Australia

Keith is a small farming town in the south-east of South Australia. It is approximately 225 km from Adelaide at the junction of the Dukes Highway and the Riddoch Highway. It is sometimes referred to as the 'lucerne capital of Australia' due to the high number of lucerne growers in the region...

, are subject to the permanent water conservation measures.

Other areas in the state are not subject to water restrictions. These areas include Murray Mallee

Murray Mallee

The Murray Mallee is the grain-growing and sheep-farming area of South Australia bounded to the north and west by the Murray River, to the east by the Victorian border, and extending about 50 km south of the Mallee Highway....

, areas north of Port Augusta

Port Augusta, South Australia

-Electricity generation:Electricity is generated at the Playford B and Northern power stations from brown coal mined at Leigh Creek, 250 km to the north...

, Kangaroo Island

Kangaroo Island

Kangaroo Island is Australia's third-largest island after Tasmania and Melville Island. It is southwest of Adelaide at the entrance of Gulf St Vincent. Its closest point to the mainland is off Cape Jervis, on the tip of the Fleurieu Peninsula in the state of South Australia. The island is long...

, Cockburn

Cockburn, South Australia

Cockburn is a town on the border of South Australia and New South Wales near Broken Hill. The town population consists of roughly 25 people with a greater regional community of 180 as of 2005.-Town history:...

, Hawker

Hawker, South Australia

Hawker is a town in the Flinders Ranges area of South Australia, 365 km north of Adelaide. It is in the Flinders Ranges Council, the state Electoral district of Stuart and the federal Division of Grey. At the 2006 census, Hawker had a population of 229....

, Melrose

Melrose, South Australia

Melrose is the oldest town in the Flinders Ranges. It is in the shadow of Mount Remarkable, 265 km north of Adelaide. At the 2006 census, Melrose had a population of 431....

, Ororoo, Parachilna

Parachilna, South Australia

Parachilna was once a town in South Australia. The town was first surveyed in 1863 due to its closeness to a government water well. It is on the railway line and road between Port Augusta and Leigh Creek. Today, the Prairie Hotel, railway station, airstrip and a few buildings remain...

, Quorn

Quorn, South Australia

Quorn is a township and railhead in the Flinders Ranges in the north of South Australia, 39 km northeast of Port Augusta. At the 2006 census, Quorn had a population of 1068.Quorn is the home of the Flinders Ranges Council local government area...

, Warooka, Wilmington, Terowie

Terowie, South Australia

Terowie is a small town in the mid-north of South Australia located north of Adelaide. It is located in the Regional Council of Goyder. Terowie retains a number of authentic and well preserved 1880s buildings, and has been declared a "historic town". It also remains a town of interest to those...

, Yunta, Olary and Manna Hill.

Victoria

The different stages of water restrictions which apply in different areas of Victoria are based upon the Victorian Uniform Drought Water Restriction Guidelines,
however they have been modified by the inclusion of a "Stage 3a", to reduce the likelihood of needing to impose Stage 4 restrictions in metropolitan Melbourne.

	Stage 1	Stage 2	Stage 3	Stage 3a	Stage 4
Watering lawns:	Alternating days/restricted hours	Watering lawns is banned			All outside watering banned
Reticulation watering days:	Alternating days		Drippers only, 2 days/week
Automatic reticulation:	Midnight-4am			Midnight-2am
Manual reticulation:	6-8am & 8-10pm			6-8am
Hose watering/ buckets/ watering cans:	Any time		2 days/week, 6-8am & 8-10pm	2 days/week, 6-8am
Hosing hard surfaces:	Banned at all times
Car washing:	Bucket/high pressure cleaner only; hose to rinse only	Bucket/high pressure cleaner only	Buckets only to clean windows, mirrors and lights
Swimming pools:	No filling without approval*			No filling

The status of water restrictions in different regions of Victoria is as set out below:

Bairnsdale
Bairnsdale, Victoria
Bairnsdale is a small city in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. With a population at the 2006 census of 11,282, it is a major regional centre of eastern Victoria along with Traralgon and Sale....

- now off water restrictions and on permanent water saving rules as of 24 August 2007
Ballarat - stage 3 from 1 January 2010, stage 1 from 1 August 2010.
Bendigo area - stage 3 from 1 January 2009
Broadford
Broadford, Victoria
Broadford is a small town in central Victoria, Australia. At the 2006 census, Broadford had a population of 3,054. The town is the headquarters of the Shire of Mitchell Local Government Area and is approximately north of the state capital, Melbourne....

- stage 4 from 1 February 2007
Geelong - stage 3 from March 2010, stage 1 from 3 October 2010
Central Gippsland
Gippsland
Gippsland is a large rural region in Victoria, Australia. It begins immediately east of the suburbs of Melbourne and stretches to the New South Wales border, lying between the Great Dividing Range to the north and Bass Strait to the south...

- All Towns on Permanent Water Saving Rules
Coongulla & Glenmaggie - stage 4 from 24 February 2007
Horsham
Horsham, Victoria
Horsham is the largest city by population and regional centre of the Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia and is approximately north-west of Melbourne via the Western Highway. At the 2006 census, Horsham had a population of 14,125. Horsham is in the federal Division of Mallee...

- Stage 1 from 14 October 2009
Mansfield
Mansfield, Victoria
Mansfield is a small town in the foothills of the Victorian part of the Australian Alps. It is approximately 180 km north-east of Melbourne...

area - stage 4 for Mansfield from 16 December 2006; other areas nearby on stage 1 and 2
Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

- stage 1 from 28 August 2006, stage 2 from 1 November 2006, stage 3 from 1 January 2007, Stage 3a from 1 April 2007, Stage 3 from 2 April 2010 and stage 2 from 1 September 2010. Similar tough restrictions were last introduced in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

in February 1983.
Mildura - now off water restrictions and on permanent water saving rules as of 3 October 2010
Omeo
Omeo, Victoria
Omeo is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Great Alpine Road, east of Mount Hotham, in the Shire of East Gippsland. At the 2006 census, Omeo had a population of 452. The name is derived from the Aboriginal word for 'mountains' or 'hills'...

- stage 2 from 11 December 2006
North east region - Bright
Bright, Victoria
Bright is a small sized town, located in northeastern Victoria, Australia, 319 metres above sea level at the southeastern end of the Ovens Valley. At the 2006 census, Bright had a population of 2684. It is in the Alpine Shire local government area...

reverted back to stage 2 and Springhurst reverted back to stage 1 on 10 September 2007. Most of the Murray towns went to Stage 4 on 1 July 2007 (e.g. Wodonga, Yarrawonga, Rutherglen etc.), and on 11 July 2007 Devenish, St James and Tungamah went to stage 3. As of 2010, most towns/cities in the North East have moved to Permanent Water Saving Rules thanks to flooding rain over winter and spring.

Source: Report and map explaining the restrictions in Victoria as of September 2006 and Water restrictions as of 2010

Western Australia

The different stages of water restrictions which can currently be applied in Western Australia are as follows:

	Stage 1	Stage 2	Stage 3	Stage 4	Stage 5	Stage 6	Stage 7
Reticulation sprinklers:	Daily	Alternate days	3 times/week	Twice weekly	Once weekly	No sprinklers
Sprinkler times:	Before 9.00am or after 6.00pm					No sprinklers
Hose watering of gardens:	Any time						No hose watering
Swimming pools:	No restriction	No over-filling			No topping-up		No filling
Car washing:	No restriction						Bucket only

Water restrictions have been employed in various Western Australian towns when poor rainfall has led to water shortages. For instance, in the summer of 1977-1978, Perth

Perth, Western Australia

Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....

was subject to a total sprinkler ban.
Newman

Newman, Western Australia

Newman, located about 1186 km north of Perth and 9 km north of the Tropic of Capricorn, is a town in the Pilbara region. It can be reached by the Great Northern Highway...

and Nullagine

Nullagine, Western Australia

Nullagine is an old goldrush town in Western Australia's Pilbara region. It is located on the Nullagine River 296 km south-east of Port Hedland and 1,364 km north-north-east of Perth on the old Great Northern Highway....

experienced water restrictions from 1991 and 1992 onwards as the result of drought.
Similarly, the resort towns of Yallingup

Yallingup, Western Australia

Yallingup is a town in the South West region of Western Australia, south of Perth. Yallingup is a popular tourist destination because of its beaches and limestone caves, and proximity to Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park.-History and industry:...

and Dunsborough

Dunsborough, Western Australia

Dunsborough is a coastal town in the South West of Western Australia, south of Perth on the shores of Geographe Bay.Dunsborough is a popular tourist destination for Western Australians; in 1999 it was voted the state's best tourist destination. During the last decade the town has grown quickly and...

experienced water restrictions in 1997 during a heatwave,
and Kalgoorlie-Boulder had temporary water restrictions imposed during 1998 due to shortages in its reservoirs (which contain water pumped through the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme

Goldfields Water Supply Scheme

The Goldfields Water Supply Scheme is a pipeline and dam project which delivers potable water to communities in Western Australia's Eastern Goldfields, particularly Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie...

).

A Stage 1 ban on using reticulation sprinklers between 9.00am and 6.00pm was imposed on Perth

Perth, Western Australia

residents in 1996,
and remains in place to this day. This was the first water restriction imposed on the state's most populous city since the total sprinkler ban in 1978. From September 2001, users of the Integrated Water Supply Scheme (covering Perth, its surrounds and towns on the Goldfields pipeline

Goldfields Water Supply Scheme

The Goldfields Water Supply Scheme is a pipeline and dam project which delivers potable water to communities in Western Australia's Eastern Goldfields, particularly Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie...

) were subject to Stage 4 restrictions, only permitted to use reticulation sprinklers two days per week, according to a roster.

The town of Northampton

Northampton, Western Australia

Northampton is a town north of Geraldton, in the Mid West region of Western Australia. At the 2006 census, the town had a population of 813. It is historic, with an outstanding National Trust building. The town lies on the North West Coastal Highway. Formerly named Gwalla after the location's...

in the Mid-West encountered a water shortage in 2006 where its underground aquifer could not meet demand. Stage 5 watering restrictions were imposed,
and the Water Corporation

Water Corporation

-Overview:The Water Corporation is the principal supplier of water, wastewater and drainage services throughout the state of Western Australia...

resorted to carting tankers of water to the town to maintain the supply.

Stage 4 water restrictions were imposed in the South-West towns of Bridgetown

Bridgetown, Western Australia

-Notable people:*Emily Barker, singer-songwriter*Jon Doust, author and comedian*Robyn McSweeney, politician*Tom O'Dwyer, cricketer*David Reid, politician*Deborah Robertson, novelist and poet-External links:* * * * * * * *...

, Balingup

Balingup, Western Australia

Balingup is a town located in the South West of Western Australia, south of the state capital, Perth, and southeast of the town of Donnybrook.The town takes its name from Balingup Pool, located on the Balingup Brook which flows through the town...

, Boyup Brook

Boyup Brook, Western Australia

Boyup Brook is a town located in the south-west of Western Australia, south-southeast of Perth and northeast of Bridgetown.The name Boyup is derived from the name of a nearby pool "Booyup", an Aboriginal term meaning "place of big stones" or "place of big smoke" .The town's economy is...

, Hester

Hester, Western Australia

Hester is a small town in the South West region of Western Australia, 7 km north of Bridgetown on the railway.It was gazetted a townsite in 1899, and was originally a siding on the Donnybrook to Bridgetown railway, opened in 1898. The town derives its name from the nearby Hester Brook, a name...

, Kirup

Kirup, Western Australia

Kirup is situated between Donnybrook and Mullalyup on the South Western Highway, 228 km south of Perth, Western Australia at the entrance of the Blackwood River valley. Kirup was originally settled as a timber town exporting railway sleepers....

, Greenbushes

Greenbushes, Western Australia

Greenbushes is a timber and mining town located in the South West region of Western Australia.-History:Greenbushes was founded as a mining town in 1888 following a surveyor's discovery of tin in 1886. Greenbushes was named after the bright green bushes that contrasted against the grey eucalyptus...

and Mullalyup

Mullalyup, Western Australia

Mullalyup is a town in the South West region of Western Australia, situated between Kirup and Balingup on the South Western Highway, south of Perth.The name is taken from the nearby Mullalyup Brook, and was first noted by John Forrest in 1898...

from 13 October 2006.

On 1 October 2007, water restrictions were expanded to cover the entire state, including those towns serviced by utilities other than the Water Corporation

Water Corporation

-Overview:The Water Corporation is the principal supplier of water, wastewater and drainage services throughout the state of Western Australia...

. Under the new system, all areas of the state in the region south of Kalbarri and Kalgoorlie (including Perth and most of the state's population) which use scheme water are subject to Stage 4 restrictions.
Areas north of the dividing line are subject to Stage 2 restrictions.
Furthermore, whereas the water restrictions had previously only restricted the use of mains water to water gardens and lawns by sprinkler, under the new water restrictions unlicensed bore

Borehole

A borehole is the generalized term for any narrow shaft bored in the ground, either vertically or horizontally. A borehole may be constructed for many different purposes, including the extraction of water or other liquid or gases , as part of a geotechnical investigation, environmental site...

operators in Perth and its surrounds are restricted to watering their gardens three times per week.
This was to slow the depletion of underground aquifers from which Perth sources much of its drinking water.

Efforts are being made to secure alternative water sources to ease water shortages in the Integrated Water Supply Scheme. Integral to the Government's strategy is the construction of desalination plants to service Perth. One has already been constructed in Kwinana

Kwinana Desalination Plant

The Kwinana Desalination Plant, located south of Perth, Western Australia, turns seawater from Cockburn Sound into nearly 140 megalitres of drinking water per day, supplying the Perth metropolitan area....

, which supplies 17% of the city's water consumption and is the largest desalination plant in both the Southern

Southern Hemisphere

The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...

and Eastern hemisphere

Eastern Hemisphere

The Eastern Hemisphere, also Eastern hemisphere or eastern hemisphere, is a geographical term for the half of the Earth that is east of the Prime Meridian and west of 180° longitude. It is also used to refer to Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australasia, vis-à-vis the Western Hemisphere, which includes...

s. A second proposed desalination plant

Binningup Desalination Plant

The Binningup Desalination Plant is a desalination plant being built near Binningup, Western Australia, about south of Perth. It will supply water to the state capital Perth, as well as the nearby regional city of Bunbury and is known as the Southern Seawater Desalination Project It is designed...

near Binningup is expected to be completed by 2011. A trial has also been announced to treat wastewater

Sewage treatment

Sewage treatment, or domestic wastewater treatment, is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater and household sewage, both runoff and domestic. It includes physical, chemical, and biological processes to remove physical, chemical and biological contaminants...

and pump it into underground aquifers to undergo natural filtration as it returns to the dwindling groundwater supply.

Water storage levels

Sources: Water Services Association of Australia, Melbourne Water http://www.qwc.qld.gov.au
(listed as percent)

Location	Dec 2005	Sep 2006	Oct 2006	Nov 2006	Dec 2006	Jan 2007	Feb 2007	Mar 2007	Apr 2007	May 2007	Jun 2007	Jul 2007	Aug 2007	Sep 2007	Oct 2007	Nov 2007	Dec 2007	Jan 2008	Feb 2008	Mar 2008
Adelaide Adelaide Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...	89	57.5	58	57	55.9	56.5	55
Brisbane Brisbane Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...	35	26.9	25.9	24.87	24.3	22.7	21.7				15.5				20.5
Canberra Canberra Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...	67	47.8	45.9	42.56	40.4	36.7	34.7	31.4							41.7
Darwin Darwin, Northern Territory Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...	56	85		77		79
Hobart Hobart Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...		81	81		87	85	79
Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...	58.1	46	44.1	46	39.8	38.7	36.5	32.1	33.1	35.6	39.1	43.6	42.7	42.3	40.1	37.1
Perth Perth, Western Australia Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....	39	32.3	31.8	29.53	28.7	26	23.6
Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...	40.5	42.6	40.6	38.6	37.1	34.8	37.1	38.5	38.2	37.3	53.1	57.5	58.8	58.9	57.3	58.8	60.9	61.0	66.4	66.1

Criticism

Water restrictions have been criticised by experts for hampering the economy and the lifestyles of people. The National Water Commission

National Water Commission

The National Water Commission is an independent statutory body within the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities that was established under the National Water Commission Act 2004 to implement the National Water Initiative and reform the broader national water...

chief has argued that Australia needs a source of water that is independent of the rainfall. Water desalination is touted as the solution for potentially unlimited water use. Former Australian Environment Minister, Malcolm Turnbull

Malcolm Turnbull

Malcolm Bligh Turnbull is an Australian politician. He has been a member of the Australian House of Representatives since 2004, and was Leader of the Opposition and parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party from 16 September 2008 to 1 December 2009.Turnbull has represented the Division...

says that it does not make sense to have permanent water restrictions just as there are no electricity restrictions.

Australian Capital Territory

New South Wales

Sydney

Regional NSW

Northern Territory

Queensland

South Australia

Areas using Murray River water

Other areas

Victoria

Western Australia

Water storage levels

Criticism

See also