Sydneysiders will have their first water restrictions imposed in almost a decade to help stem a rapid decline in the city's reservoirs amid the state's ongoing drought.
The Berejiklian government decided to bring forward the level 1 curbs to June 1, or about two months earlier than would be triggered under the Metropolitan Water Plan.
The formal trigger for such restrictions is when dam levels hit 50 per cent. On Tuesday, they were at 53.5 per cent and losing 0.5 percentage points per week, according to WaterNSW.
Sydney Water have said the city's dams have fallen faster over the past two years than during the Millennium Drought, with inflows at levels not seen since the 1940s.
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The water restrictions will target outdoor water use, although the government is also planning to encourage the public to save water where possible.
Fines for breaches are expected to be $220 for individuals and $550 for companies – with a three-month grace period to allow people to adjust. About 75 per cent of Sydney Water's output goes to residential users.
The first stage of water curbs will seek to mandate the so-called Water Wise Rules that have been voluntary to this point, according to the Metropolitan Water Plan. These include requiring all garden hoses to have a trigger nozzle or other attachment that permits an instant on-off use.
Lawns and gardens should also not be watered between 10am and 4pm to limit evaporation losses.
Sprinklers and watering systems will also not be permitted, except for drip-irrigation systems or automated watering systems with controllers that automatically limit usage based on soil moisture and weather conditions.
Residents will also not be allowed to hose hard surfaces like paths and driveways, except for health and safety reasons or in an emergency.
Residents can only wash vehicles, boats and buildings with a bucket, a hose fitted with a trigger nozzle or high-pressure cleaning equipment, and those seeking to fill a new or renovated pool will need a permit if it contains more than 10,000 litres of water.
Exclusions for level 1 restrictions include bore water use and where there is "no practical alternative".
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Other exclusions include households laying fresh turf with watering permitted for a week after installation. Professional gardeners – who often work through the day – will be able to apply for exemption permits.
The restrictions are coming into force even as the Sydney Desalination Plant ramps up towards full capacity. It was restarted last year after repairs following a tornado strike in 2015, and is producing about 850 million litres a week. a spokesman said on Saturday.
At full capacity, the plant will supply 250 million litres of drinking water daily, or about 15 per cent of Sydney's needs.
While not a direct proxy for the city's catchments, Sydney has been particularly dry for the past two months.
Observatory Hill has had no rain in its gauge since May 6 and may not get any until Saturday.
Rainfall since the start of April has been just 25.8mm, trailing only 1888 as the driest spell for those two months in Sydney in records going back to 1858, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
The bureau’s winter outlook is for conditions that favour below-average rainfall across most eastern Australia, including in the region around Sydney.
Those seeking to be excluded from the water restrictions can phone Sydney Water on 13 20 92 or email exemptions@sydneywater.com.au.
More to come