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Thread: Sydney Water Restrictions eased

  1. #1
    Member of Forum Stripes's Avatar
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    Default Sydney Water Restrictions eased

    Sprinklers off the black list

    June 21, 2009 12:00am

    FAMILIES can once again turn on the sprinklers after the State Government lifts water restrictions at midnight.

    After more than five years of bans, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal that the existing restrictions regime will be scrapped.

    In their place, the Government will impose new, permanent water-saving rules to ensure drinking water is not wasted.

    The moves come ahead of the Kurnell desalination plant coming online in summer and increasing use of water-saving taps and dual-flush toilets.

    State Water Minister Phillip Costa said the decision followed careful consideration of storage levels, rainfall forecasts and additional water sources such as recycling and desalination.

    The new rules will also take effect from midnight.

    "The community has responded tremendously during the drought to save every drop," Mr Costa said.

    "These few simple rules reinforce the importance of using water responsibly and minimising waste. It gives people more flexibility to maintain their gardens and manage water around the home," he said.

    Under the old regime, various levels of restrictions were introduced to cut back water usage as dam levels fell.

    Over the past five years, Sydney, Illawarra and Blue Mountains residents were forced to live with increasingly tougher restrictions.

    Under the existing Level 3 restrictions, hand-held watering could only be done on Wednesdays and Sundays before 10am and after 4pm.

    Watering systems and sprinklers were banned entirely.

    The new rules allow for the hand-held hoses, sprinklers and watering systems to be used on gardens daily, but in the same time periods.

    Children will also be allowed to play under sprinklers on hot days.

    Under the old restrictions, businesses such as nurseries and landscape gardeners were required to obtain exemptions for water use. They no longer have to seek them.

    Automatic exemptions will also apply to market gardeners, bowling greens, cricket wickets, golf tees and croquet, hockey, tennis and horse-racing surfaces.

    The only old restrictions to form part of the new rules include the bans on watering hard surfaces and the requirement to use a trigger nozzle for hosing cars.



    The introduction of restrictions resulted in Sydneysiders reducing water usage to that used in the 1970s.

    The drop in usage occurred despite an increase in population of more than 1.3 million people.

    Level 1 restrictions were introduced in 2003, Level 2 the following year and Level 3 was imposed in 2005.

    Sydney Water said this was the longest period Sydneysiders had to live with restrictions and estimated the bans saved more than 533 billion litres of water.
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    I've been waiting for years for this to happen!
    I used to have my irrigation license before the restrictions came in, so I will be at Fair Trading tomorrow re-instating my license! The money in irrigation is excellent and there will be a huge backlog of people wanting to get their systems back in operation as well as new installations.



    $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$

  2. #2
    Senior Member Bgs's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sydney Water Restrictions eased

    great news for gardeners and contractors, Its good to see households being rewarded after doing there bit for so long, Restrictions have been in place for so long most people know that its a precious resource and will be responsible.

    I love the bit about kids will be able to play in sprinklers on a hot day , Remember that ? man those were the days.

  3. #3
    Member of forum Sandgroper's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sydney Water Restrictions eased

    In W.A they are talking about a winter sprinkler ban,,my sprinklers get turned off between june and start of October as we don't need them then around here,,last night driving home in the rain the council had all the sprinklers going and you often see house holders doing the same thing.

    I am all for sprinkler bans in winter in certain areas,they should have done it 20 years ago.

  4. #4
    Member Of Forum lawngreen's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sydney Water Restrictions eased

    We will continue to educate our customers of the need for Heavy But Infrequent watering (which, incidentally, is the same as our rainfall) for Warm Seaon Turf Grasses (ie buffalo, couch, kikuyu, zoysia etc).

    Our website has a page dedicated to this at http://www.LawnGreen.com.au/Beat_The_Water_Restrictions

    What do you think?

  5. #5
    Member of Forum Stripes's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sydney Water Restrictions eased

    I think Sydney Water need to advertise and push the education more. So many people I know before the restrictions were brought in, watered their lawns and gardens every day or two. It didnt matter how many times I told them, they would just water it all the time, then as soon as the first real hot day comes along they wonder why it gets smashed! Even after that, they still couldnt understand its better to water deeply each week instead of every day or two.
    People with irrigation systems would adjust their controllers so they come on every second day as well. People need to be educated on the best ways to water their lawns and gardens.

    I have written a little about it on my irrigation page:
    http://www.stripeslawnmowing.com.au/index.php?p=1_9

  6. #6
    Senior Member chaplain's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sydney Water Restrictions eased

    Great website Stripes

  7. #7
    Member of Forum Stripes's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sydney Water Restrictions eased

    Quote Originally Posted by chaplain
    Great website Stripes
    Thanks mate!

    I'm forever tweaking it!

  8. #8
    MEMBER mbmows's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sydney Water Restrictions eased

    Cool website Stripes!

  9. #9
    Senior Member imoww's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sydney Water Restrictions eased

    Water board now has tyhese restrictions???
    http://www.sydneywater.com.au/SW/fin...QvRXFOMjhDSWw=
    Everything looks good with a haircut.... ɐuıɥɔ ɯoɹɟ pɹɐoqʎǝʞ ɐ ʎnq ı ǝɯıʇ ʇsɐl ǝɥʇ sʇɐɥʇ

  10. #10
    Senior Member m287j's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sydney Water Restrictions eased

    Yes, and if you look around the website you will see no watering of hard surfaces etc.

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