Stage 3 Water Restrictions for Euroa, Violet Town, Longwood and Strathbogie

9 January 2007

Goulburn Valley Water has announced that Stage 3 Water Restrictions will come into effect for Euroa, Violet Town, Longwood and Strathbogie from midnight on Tuesday 16 January 2007 and will continue until further notice.

Goulburn Valley Water’s Acting Chief Executive Mr Allen Gale said that the move to Stage 3 water restrictions is necessary to conserve the available water in the storages.

“The storage levels in the three reservoirs that supply Euroa and Violet Town have continued to fall and as at 4 January 2007 the combined storage content was at 260 megalitres or 31% of capacity,” he said.  “We are unable to extract water to supplement supply at present due to very low flows in Seven Creeks and these low flows impact our Strathbogie region customers.”

Mr Gale said that the inflows into the Nine Mile Creek Reservoir serving Longwood have declined and are now below the permitted diversion rate.  “Due to the small capacity of the reservoir it is important that we increase the water restrictions.”

“Our customers in Euroa & Violet Town are currently using around 80 megalitres per month which is higher than anticipated and on that basis the supply would last approximately three months unless there is substantial rainfall,” said Mr Gale. “Longwood customers are currently using around 8 megalitres of water per month.”

Mr Gale said that it is essential that everybody does all they can to minimise water usage under these water restrictions and suggests using grey water from the laundry or shower to help preserve your valuable plants.

Some key features of Stage 3 Water Restrictions are:

RESIDENTIAL and COMMERCIAL GARDENS and LAWNS

• Watering of lawns is BANNED

• Garden areas (other than lawn) may be watered by a manual dripper system or hand­held hose fitted with a trigger mechanism between 6am to 8am and 7pm to 9pm; or an automated dripper system between midnight and 4am, on Sunday and Wednesday for odd-numbered properties, and Saturday and Tuesday for even-numbered and unnumbered properties. 

• No watering is permitted on Monday, Thursday and Friday.

• No sprinkler systems are allowed.

PAVING, CONCRETE & OTHER HARD SURFACES

• Hosing banned except for construction purposes or to prevent a health or safety hazard.

VEHICLES

• Water must not be used to clean a vehicle except by means of:

• A commercial car wash; or

• A bucket filled directly from a tap (and not by means of a hose) to only clean vehicle windows, mirrors and lights or for spot-removing corrosive substances.

RESIDENTIAL OR COMMERCIAL POOLS AND SPAS

• New pools or spas cannot be filled

• An existing pool or spa can only be topped up by means of a watering can or bucket, filled directly from a tap and not by means of a hose.

Please see our Water Restrictions page 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