Stage 2 Water Restrictions from 1 February for Bonnie Doon

26 January 2007

Goulburn Valley Water has announced that Stage 2 Water Restrictions will come into effect for Bonnie Doon from midnight on Wednesday 1 February 2007 and will continue until further notice.

Goulburn Valley Water’s Chief Executive Mr Laurie Gleeson said that the move to Stage 2 water restrictions is necessary due to very low flows in the Brankeet Creek, below the Bonnie Doon bridge ceasing.  “This means that we cannot refill the Bonnie Doon town water storage,” he said.  “The storage is now holding only 51% of its 55,000 kilolitre capacity.” 

Some key features of Stage 2 Water Restrictions are:

• A lawn must not be watered at anytime

• A private garden must not be watered except by means of:

1. a manual watering system which operates only between the hours of 6.00am and 8.00am and 7.00pm and 9.00pm on alternate days; or

2. an automatic watering system which operates only between the hours of midnight and 4.00am on alternate days; or

3. a hand-held hose fitted with a trigger nozzle, or watering can or bucket filled either by a hand-held hose fitted with a trigger nozzle, or directly from a tap, at any time.

Alternate days means that properties with an odd street number may operate a watering system between the set hours on odd numbered days of the month and properties with even numbers or no number on even numbered days of the month. All properties can water on the 31^st day of the month.

• Swimming pools, can only be topped up by means of hand held hoses, or watering cans or buckets;

• Vehicles can only be washed using

1. a high pressure water cleaning device; or

2. a commercial car wash; or

3. a watering can or bucket filled directly from a tap (and not by means of a hose).

“Our region of Victoria is facing a very difficult summer with high temperatures and stream flows at historically low levels,” said Mr Gleeson.  At the end of December 2006, there were 438 towns in Victoria on water restrictions, with 101 towns on Stage 1, 119 on Stage 2, 29 on Stage 3 and 189 on Stage 4.” 

Mr Gleeson said that the Authority has sent a letter and brochure to all their customers in Bonnie Doon.  “The brochure outlines all requirements under Stage 2 water restrictions and also provides some helpful hints on saving water in the home.”

Please see our Water Restrictions page to download a copy of the brochure and for full details or contact our 24 hour Customer Service Centre on free call 1800 45 45 00.  Breaches of the restriction By-law should also be reported to this number.

Authorised By L.J. Gleeson 104-110 Fryers Street Shepparton