Summer has arrived in Victoria and it’s when household water use is at its highest.
As temperatures rise and the days get longer, water use in homes can jump by 25% compared to winter.
The increase puts extra demand on our water storages and is largely driven by outdoor activities including more watering of gardens and outdoor cleaning.
Victoria’s Permanent Water Saving Rules are in place across the whole state, to help us use water wisely outdoors.
The Permanent Water Saving Rules are:
- sprinklers and watering systems can only run between 6pm and 10am
- hand-held hoses must be leak-free and fitted with a trigger nozzle
- hard surfaces, such as driveways and decks, most not be hosed as part of general cleaning and
- fountains and water features must recirculate water.
This is the time of year when careful, efficient use of water matters the most and using water wisely now reduces the chances of needing water restrictions in the future.
Efficient use of water in and around our homes plays an important role in helping conserve Victoria’s water supplies.
As much of Victoria continues to experience dry conditions, average levels of water storages across the state are at 61% of capacity, compared with 79% at the same time last year.
Small water-saving actions at home might seem minor, but across state, these actions add up and can make a significant difference.
Visit Ways to Save Water to find out more about the actions you can take to save water at home.
Page last updated: 01/12/25