From 1 December 2020, Level 1 Water restrictions for Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains and the Illawarra will be lifted and replaced with Water Wise Guidelines.
Drinking water uses
Under the Water Wise Guidelines, you can use drinking water to:
- water lawns and gardens before 10am and after 4pm using a hand-held hose fitted with a trigger nozzle, sprinklers or standard water systems
- water new turf and gardens at any time for up to 28 days
- water lawns and gardens with drip irrigation systems or smart water systems at any time
- top up pools and spas to replace water lost through evaporation
- fill new or renovated pools and spas
- wash vehicles with a hand-held hose fitted with a trigger nozzle or high-pressure cleaning equipment
- clean buildings (including windows, walls and gutters) with a hand-held hose fitted with a trigger nozzle or high-pressure cleaning equipment
- cool down people or animals.
You will not be able to:
- allow water to run off onto hard surfaces
- leave taps and hoses running unattended
- allow pools or spas to overflow when being filled.
Exemption permits for household and business water use will no longer be required.
Minister for Water Property and Housing Melinda Pavey said people across Greater Sydney have done an outstanding job during water restrictions, collectively saving 77GI of water – the equivalent of 31,000 Olympic-size swimming pools.
“Water restrictions have helped curtail demand by around 65ML each day, taking pressure off the filtration plant to provide clean water from Sydney’s dams which have been impacted by bushfires and heavy rainfall,” Mrs Pavey said.
