Water Restrictions Eased for Euroa and Violet Town

28 May 2007

Goulburn Valley Water has announced that water restrictions for Euroa and Violet Town are being eased from Stage 4 to Stage 3 effective from midnight Friday 1 June 2007.

Goulburn Valley Water’s Chief Executive, Mr Laurie Gleeson said the Authority has been able to ease water restrictions, as there has been some good rainfall in the catchment and storages are slowly recovering, but they are still below 20%. 

“Polly McQuinns reservoir is holding 53 megalitres or 68% or capacity, Waterhouse reservoir is holding 97 megalitres or 45% of capacity,” he said.  “Unfortunately flows in the Sevens are below 40 megalitres per day which is the minimum passing flow requirement to be met before we can divert water under our bulk water entitlement into Abbinga Reservoir which is still empty.”

“Goulburn Valley Water has been part of the National and State Contingency Planning Committee with responsibility for ensuring essential urban supplies are maintained across the Murray Darling system right through to Adelaide at the bottom of the system,” said Mr Gleeson.  “The Minister for Water, Environment & Climate Change last week approved operating rules for both regulated and unregulated systems, which have also been discussed and supported by the Drought Taskforce, chaired by the Premier.” 

Mr Gleeson said that these rules will apply to ensure there is sufficient water in the Murray Darling system to meet essential urban water requirements.

“Towns which take their water supply directly from unregulated rivers and streams in the Goulburn, Ovens and Kiewa Basins will need to be restricted,” said Mr Gleeson. “These towns will be placed on Stage 3 restrictions, if local supplies are sufficient, until there is an irrigation allocation on the respective receiving regulated system.”

Mr Gleeson said that towns supplied from regulated systems such as Seymour, Shepparton and Cobram will be on Stage 4 restrictions from 1 July 2007.

“The Sevens Creek is an unregulated system and the above rule will operate until there is an irrigation allocation on the Goulburn system,” said Mr Gleeson.  “We anticipate that Stage 3 water restrictions will remain in place on the Euroa system for several months.”

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 7am to 9am and 5pm to 7pm; 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.

NOTE: The watering hours have been amended to allow for the change from daylight savings.

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.

Please see our Water Restrictions for full details of Stage 3 Restrictions, including details of restrictions applying to sporting grounds and commercial premises, 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