00:00When yearly rainfall totals fall below average, local water authorities will ease the pressure
00:05on their resources by introducing water restrictions. Water restriction levels and permissions vary
00:13slightly between state and territory but broadly in most areas there are about three to seven
00:19different levels of restrictions. In NSW and Victoria there are five levels of water restrictions
00:26ranging from moderate to extreme restrictions. If you're living in NSW here's what you can and can't
00:34do when water restrictions are in place across your local community. On level one restrictions
00:40you're allowed to use a handheld hose to water your garden and your lawn for up to one hour every
00:47second
00:48day. You are also permitted to top up ponds or swimming pools with a handheld hose. If you happen
00:55to have a residential fountain on your property it must be completely switched off when your local
01:02area reaches level one restrictions. Sprinklers may be used for 15 minutes a day as part of the one
01:09hour allocation of outdoor water usage. Buckets and watering cans can be used at any time and gardening
01:16irrigation systems can be used for 15 minutes before 9am or after 4pm. Cars and boats can be
01:24rinsed on the lawn with a bucket and a handheld hose and boat motors can only be flushed for five
01:29minutes
01:30over the lawn. Most local government areas will enforce an odds and even system to monitor usage
01:37so if your house number is an odd number you're permitted to use your allocation on an odd day of
01:42the month and likewise if your house is an even number you're permitted to use your allocation on even
01:48days of the month. Although for fairness no one is permitted to water outside on the 31st of each
01:54month. In some cases if you have recently laid a new lawn that requires additional watering you can
02:01apply for an exemption by your local water authority. At level two the outdoor water usage window drops
02:08from one hour to 30 minutes every second day. Outdoor watering is not permitted between 9am and 4pm
02:16If your local area reaches level four you are considered to be under severe restrictions and you are no longer
02:17permitted to use an outdoor hose. When your local area enforces level three restrictions you are only
02:21permitted to water outside using a hose for just 10 minutes every second day. At this level
02:27there is a total ban on sprinklers and garden irrigation systems. Outdoor watering is not permitted between 9am
02:35and 4pm. If your local area reaches level four you are considered to be under severe restrictions and you are
02:44no longer
02:45permitted to use an outdoor hose at all. All sprinklers and garden irrigation systems are banned and you may
02:52only use recycled or grey water outside. No car or boat washing is permitted and swimming pools or ponds
02:59cannot be topped up at all. If your local area reaches level five your area is considered to be in
03:06a water
03:06shortage emergency and as expected you will not be permitted to use an outdoor hose at all.
03:12All sprinklers and garden irrigation systems must be fully switched off. No car or boat washing is
03:19permitted at all and swimming pools or ponds may not be topped up at all. Restrictions are usually
03:26triggered by regional droughts which tend to occur every few years in dry areas. Severe widespread
03:32restrictions were last implemented in New South Wales around 2019-2020 and it affected mostly Armadale and
03:40Urala. Coastal areas tend to have better water security and rarely reach level five restrictions
03:48but inland areas are more susceptible to severe water shortages. If water restrictions have been introduced
03:55into your area it's important to be aware of the local allowances and permissions because there are some
04:01hefty fines. For individuals fines can vary in severity from $750 to $7,700 and corporations can face fines of
04:13up to $15,400 for failing to adhere to commercial restrictions and guidelines. So it's really important
04:22you know what you can and can't do when water restrictions are in your area.
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