The long and terrible reign of the thirsty freaks of Sydney is officially over. As of June 1, the city will be subject to level one water restrictions – the first such restrictions imposed in almost a decade.
This is about two months earlier than was anticipated by the Metropolitan Water Plan, with he ongoing drought in New South Wales and low dam levels triggering the restrictions. According to WaterNSW, dam levels are at 53.5 percent and losing 0.5 percentage points per week.
Water Minister Melinda Pavey said it was “vital we take early and decisive action”:
Water restrictions are an important drought response because they target the outdoor water use of all households. Regional NSW has been experiencing a record drought. Water restrictions in Sydney mean that households across NSW are doing their bit to conserve water.
So what’s the gist of the restrictions? Sydney Water’s website provides all the details, but here are the basics:
- You can only water lawns and gardens with a hose before 10 am or after 4 pm, and the hose must be fitted with a trigger nozzle.
- You can’t leave hoses running unattended.
- You can’t use standard sprinklers or watering systems – unless it’s a proper irrigation rig, which I assume most readers of PEDESTRIAN.TV do not have.
- You can still wash your car, but only with a bucket or a hose fitted with a trigger nozzle.
- You can’t clean hard surfaces (paths, driveways, paved areas) with a hose, unless there’s a health, safety or emergency reason to do so.
- You can’t fill a new or renovated pool of more than 10,000 litres unless you get a permit.
Fines for breaching these restrictions will be $220 for individuals and $550 for companies, with a three month grace period to get used to to them. Don’t get caught out!
