Water Restrictions | Goulburn Valley Water

Permanent water saving rules

The permanent water saving rules are a common-sense set of rules to help reduce demand on water and use it efficiently. They're in place every day of the year, right across Victoria.

1	Fountains and water features must recirculate water
2	Vehicles can be cleaned any time using a bucket or leak free hose with a trigger nozzle
3	Sprinkers and watering systems can only be used between 6pm and 10am
4	Use a broom or a blower to clean hard surfaces like pathways, decks, concrete, or driveways
5	Leak free hoses can be used at any time but they must be fitted with a trigger nozzle

Please note: These rules will not apply in the case of an accident, fire, safety hazard or emergency in respect to the health of people or animals.

Our Permanent Water Saving Plan and associated rules are in accordance with the Water Restrictions By-Law 513, as approved by the Minister.

Current water restrictions

Stage 2 (save) water restrictions will apply in Euroa and Violet Town from Wednesday 28 May 2025.

Due to ongoing dry conditions, restrictions are necessary to reduce demand, safeguard supplies and ensure the district has sufficient water until storages recover.

Affected suburbs:
• Euroa
• Violet Town

Read the full media release here >
Download our frequently asked questions >
Have a question that hasn’t been answered? Ask it online >

What do Stage 2 water restrictions mean?

The following summary has been drawn from the Water Restriction By-law No.513.

1. Watering gardens, lawns and playing surfaces with supplied drinking water

(a) A:

residential or commercial lawn area; or
public lawn area; or
general playing surface,

cannot be watered with supplied drinking water at any time.

(b) A:

residential or commercial garden area; or
public garden area; or
particular playing surface,

cannot be watered with supplied drinking water except as required and then only:

with a hand-held hose, bucket or watering can ant time; or
using a watering system but only on alternate days between the hours of 6am and 8am and 6pm and 8pm.

(c) Despite paragraphs (a) and (b):

a public garden or lawn area; or
a general or particular playing surface

can be watered with supplied drinking water as required but only in accordance with an approved Water Use Plan.

2. Using supplied drinking water for aesthetic purposes

(a) Supplied drinking water cannot be used to fill or top up a fountain or water feature at any time.

(b) Supplied drinking water cannot be used to fill or top up a new pond or lake, regardless of capacity, at any time.

(c) Supplied drinking water cannot be used to fill or top up an existing pond or lake, regardless of capacity, unless the relevant pond or lake sustains aquatic fauna or bird life, and then only in accordance with an approved Water Use Plan.

3. Using supplied drinking water in swimming pools and toys

(a) Supplied drinking water cannot be used to fill a new or existing:

residential or commercial pool or spa; or
public pool or spa,

with a capacity of 2,000 litres or less, except by the means of:

a hand-held hose, bucket or watering can; or
an Automatic Water Top Up Device

(b) Supplied drinking water cannot be used to fill a new or existing:

residential or commercial pool or spa; or
public pool or spa

with a capacity of greater than 2,000 litres except in accordance with an approved Water Use Plan

(c) Supplied drinking water cannot be used to top up new or existing:

residential or commercial pool or spa; or
public pool or spa,

of any capacity, except:

between the hours of 6am and 8am and 6pm and 8pm on alternate days by means of a hand-held hose, bucket or watering can; or
by use of an Automatic Water Top Up Device at any time; or
in accordance with an approved Water Use Plan.

(d) Supplied drinking water cannot be used to fill or top up a mobile spa except in accordance with an approved Water Use Plan that is obtained by the owner of the mobile spa.

(e) Supplied drinking water cannot be used in or for the use of a hose connected water toy at any time.

4. Storing or transporting supplied drinking water

(a) Supplied drinking water cannot be used to fill or top up a dam or tank except:

where the water in the dam or tank is to be used:
- for firefighting, stock watering or other public health purposes but then only to the extent which it is reasonably necessary for those purposes; or
- for domestic purposes inside a dwelling; or
- for any other use of supplied drinking water permitted by means of a hand-held hose under stage 3 restrictions; or
in accordance with an approved Water Use Plan.

(b) Supplied drinking water cannot be used to fill or top up a water tanker unless:

Goulburn Valley Water has granted a mobile water tanker permit to the operator of that tanker; and
the tanker is supplying the Water to be used:
- for firefighting, stock watering or other public health purposes but then only to the extent which it is reasonably necessary for those purposes; or
- for domestic purposes inside a dwelling; or
- for any other use of supplied drinking water permitted by means of a hand-held hose under stage 2 restrictions.

5. Cleaning vehicles with supplied drinking water

(a) Supplied drinking water cannot be used to clean a vehicle except:

in the case of a vehicle being cleaned at the premises of or by a motor vehicle dealer, repairer or detailer, only in accordance with paragraph (c); or
in any other case by means of:
- a high-pressure water cleaning device; or
- if such a device is not available, and hand-held hose, bucket or watering can; or
at a commercial car wash in accordance with paragraph (d); or
in the case of a vehicle that is used for mass transportation, in accordance with an approved Water Use Plan.

(b) Despite paragraph (a), Supplied drinking water can be used to clean inside a food transport vehicle if it is necessary, either to avoid contamination of the vehicle’s contents or to ensure public health or safety, but only by means of:

a high-pressure water cleaning device; or
a hand-held hose, bucket or watering can.

(c) Supplied drinking water cannot be used at the premises of or by a motor vehicle dealer, repairer or detailer to clean a vehicle except:

by means of:
- a high-pressure water cleaning device;
- a commercial car wash in accordance with paragraph (d); or
- a bucket or watering can; or
in accordance with an approved Water Use Plan

(d) Supplied drinking water cannot be used to wash vehicles at a commercial car wash unless:

for those car washes built prior to 1 July 2012, no more than 100 litres of water is used for each vehicle washed; and
for those car washes built on or after 1 July 2012, no more than 70 litres of water is used for each vehicle washed; or
the use is in accordance with an approved Water Use Plan.

(e) Supplied drinking water cannot be used to flush the inboard or outboard motor of a boat or other vessel unless:

a suitable receptacle filled by a handheld hose is used; or
a flushing device, connected to a hose is used, and the tap is turned off immediately after flushing is complete

6. Using supplied drinking water for other cleaning or maintenance purposes

(a) Supplied drinking water cannot be used on hard surfaces or building facades (including windows), except:

in the course of construction or renovation but only as permitted under paragraph (c); or
for cleaning required as a result of an accident, fire, health hazard, safety hazard or other emergency and then only by means of:
- a high pressure water cleaning device; or
- if such a device is not available, a hand-held hose, bucket or watering can.
In the case of building facades (including windows), for any other type of cleaning and then only by means of cleaning and then only by means of a bucket or watering can.

(b) Supplied drinking water cannot be used to suppress dust unless:

there is no suitable alternative source of water that it is reasonably practicable to use; and
the dust is causing or is likely to cause a health or environmental hazard,

and then only:

by means of a hand-held hose, bucket or watering can; or
with supplied drinking water from a water tanker filled or topped up in accordance with restriction 4(b); or
in accordance with an approved Water Use Plan.

(c) Supplied drinking water cannot be used in the course of construction or renovation except:

by means of a high-pressure cleaning device, hand-held hose, bucket or watering can; or
for the suppression of dust in accordance with paragraph (b); or
for construction equipment which requires a water supply for its safe and efficient operation; or
if required in the normal course of initial testing or flushing of pipes; or other works.

7. Using supplied drinking water for commercial production of plants and/or animals:

(a) Supplied drinking water cannot be used at:

a commercial or Council plant nursery; or
a commercial market garden,

except as required and then only by means of:

a hand-held hose, bucket or watering can at any time; or
a watering system at any time

(b) Not used.

(c) Supplied drinking water cannot be used for animal husbandry except for:

drinking by animals or birds; or
cleaning animals or birds; or
cleaning pens, yards and cages, and then only if cleaning is done by means of a hand-held hose or bucket.

(d) Supplied drinking water cannot be used for cooling a shed on a commercial poultry farm except by means of:

sprinklers used only for cooling and then only between the hours of 6am and 9pm when the inside temperature of the shed is 30°C or higher; and
fogging systems and cooling pads, which may be used at any time.

8. Other uses

Supplied drinking water must not be used for any Other Use without the prior written permission of Goulburn Valley Water.

Current Water Restrictions

Key: Permanent Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4

Town	Town	Town
Alexandra	Katunga	Sawmill Settlement
Avenel	Kilmore	Seymour
Barmah	Kirwan’s Bridge	Shepparton
Bonnie Doon	Kyabram	Stanhope
Broadford	Longwood	Strathbogie
Buxton	Mangalore	Strathmerton
Clonbinane	Mansfield	Tallarook
Cobram	Marysville	Tallygaroopna
Colbinabbin	Merrigum	Tatura
Congupna	Merrijig	Thornton
Corop	Molesworth	Tongala
Dookie	Mooroopna	Toolamba
Eildon	Murchison	Violet Town
Euroa	Nagambie	Wandong
Girgarre	Nathalia	Woods Point
Goulburn Weir	Numurkah	Wunghnu
Heathcote Junction	Picola	Yea
Katamatite	Pyalong	Yarroweyah
Katandra West	Rushworth

Changes to standpipes

Potable standpipes (Euroa and Violet Town)

Potable (drinking) water standpipes in Euroa and Violet Town will close from 12pm on Thursday 22 May 2025.

To support small rural users, a 25mm small-diameter outlet will remain open at the Euroa potable standpipe (Cnr North Balmattum Rd and Dudley Rd), to provide limited access to drinking water for essential needs only, such as livestock and animal consumption.

We are working to install a similar small-diameter outlet at the Violet Town standpipe (210 High St) to provide the same limited access, and will advise customers when this is ready for use.

For further information or queries regarding potable standpipe access, please call our Customer Team during office hours on 03 5832 4800.

To find standpipe locations across our service area, visit Standpipes | Goulburn Valley Water.

Purple recycled water standpipe (Euroa)

The purple recycled (non-potable) treated water standpipe in Euroa (Golf Course Rd) will remain open for non-drinking uses only, such as construction and dust-suppression.

Please note we do not recommend treated recycled water from our purple standpipe to be used for animal consumption, including livestock.

For further information on purple standpipe use, please call our Customer Team during office hours on 03 5832 4800 ask to speak with our Wastewater and Recycling team.

Exemptions and Water Use Plans

In special circumstances, you can apply for an exemption from the permanent water saving rules or apply for a Water Use Plan during staged water restrictions.

To apply for an exemption and / or Water Use Plan, please submit an online application form relevant to your circumstance, or contact us for more information.

Enforcement and penalties

Permanent Water Saving Rules are enforced under the Water Act.

If you see someone breaching the rules, please contact us with the details of the offence and one of our officers will investigate. Official warnings and on-the-spot fines can be issued for offences, while serious breaches may result in prosecution.

For more details, download our PWSR Brochure.

On this page

• Permanent water saving rules

• Current water restrictions

• Exemptions and Water Use Plans

• Enforcement and penalties