Winter is coming – switch off your sprinklers

The statewide winter sprinkler switch-off comes into force on Monday 1 June and will apply to all scheme and bore users.

Busselton Water Managing Director Chris Elliott explained that the winter period is crucial to saving water, especially given the ongoing impacts of climate change and the need to carefully manage our precious water reserves.

“Records show that in Busselton, we are typically very good at saving water during winter, however every few years, our water use is unfortunately significantly higher than it should be,” Mr Elliott explained. “Last winter, we used almost 794,000kL of water, which equates to more than 317 Olympic-sized swimming pools.”

“We simply cannot be complacent when it comes to reducing our water use in these cooler months when evaporation rates are low – it allows us to preserve water for the drier months and for future generations.

“We’ve seen a wet lead up to winter, so if you haven’t already, I strongly encourage you to switch off your sprinklers and let Mother Nature water for you,” Mr Elliott added.

The switch-off period runs between 1 June and 31 August and also applies in Perth, Mandurah and most other parts of the South West.

Householders using their sprinklers during the switch-off period risk a $100 fine.

Hand watering is permitted any day of the week with a watering can or hand-held hose (as long as the hose only has one outlet). Although watering times are not regulated, we strongly recommend hand-watering either before 9am or after 6pm.

Restrictions do not apply to irrigation systems that use water collected by rainwater tanks.

Pressure testing of bores is permitted once a week for two minutes per station, on normal watering days and only once on those days, either before 9am or after 6pm.

For more information on the winter sprinkler switch off, visit busseltonwater.wa.gov.au