Gardening rules
Under Stage 3a water restrictions, can I water my lawn?
Under Stage 3a water restrictions, can I water my garden?
Why can't I water in the evening on my designated watering day?
Can I hose in wetting agents?
I have a domestic vegetable garden and the limited watering hours don't suit my needs, can I get an exemption?
How do I water/keep my vegetable garden healthy?
Dripper Systems
Dripper systems fact sheet
What is a dripper system?
Where can I purchase a dripper system?
What areas of my garden can I water with a dripper system?
Why is it more effective to use a dripper system rather than a spray sprinkler system?
Is it best to place a dripper system on top of or under soil?
Can I convert my current watering system to a dripper system?
Why is it best to set my dripper system to low water pressure? How can I ensure that my system is only using 9 litres of water per hour?
Rain and soil moisture sensors
What is a rain or soil moisture sensor?
Why are rain and soil moisture sensors being made mandatory for new automatic watering systems installed from 1 September 2005?
Will there be any financial assistance for the installation of rain or soil moisture sensors?
How much do rain or soil moisture sensors cost?
Watering days for gardens
What if I don't have a house number?
What if my automatic dripper system doesn't allow me to water on my set days?
Under Stage 3a water restrictions, can I water my lawn?
No. There is a complete ban on watering lawns for residents and businesses. Exemptions are no longer available for new turf or establishing gardens. However alternate sources (e.g., rainwater tank water or grey water) can be used at any time.
Under Stage 3a water restrictions, can I water my garden?
Yes.
You may use a manual dripper system that you turn on or off by hand, hand-held hoses fitted with trigger nozzles, watering cans and buckets between 6 am - 8 am to water your plants as required two days per week.*
Automatic dripper systems that turn themselves on or off can only be used between midnight -
2 am two days per week.*
* Even and no-numbered properties can water plants on Saturday and Tuesday within specified times.
* Odd numbered properties can water plants on Sunday and Wednesday within specified times.
* Watering is not permitted on Monday, Thursday and Friday.
Remember, most gardens do not need two full hours of watering. Please water according to your plants needs.
Why can't I water in the evening on my designated watering day?
Melbourne's Drought Response Plan, which outlines the levels of water restrictions, was developed by a team of water management specialists at Yarra Valley Water in consultation with Melbourne's other water businesses, industry associations and the Victorian Government, to ensure consistency.
Stage 3a was developed to reduce the impact on residential gardeners. These rules allow manual watering between 6 am - 8 am on designated watering days and automatic watering using a dripper system between midnight and 2 am on designated watering days.*
Watering your garden manually in the morning reduces the risk of plant fungal and insect problems that can be caused when water is left on leaves overnight. Dripper systems place water directly on the roots so plant fungal problems do not occur.
The severity of our water situation is really driving innovation in water management, and we encourage our customers to actively pursue the use of alternative sources such as greywater, rainwater (stormwater reuse or tanks) and recycled water.
We also recommend speaking to one of the experts at an authorised Water Saver Garden Centre to discuss water wise solutions.
* Even numbered properties can water on Saturday and Tuesday.
Odd numbered properties can water on Sunday and Wednesday.
Watering is not permitted on Monday, Thursday and Friday.
Can I hose in wetting agents?
No, in Melbourne we are in Stage 3a water restrictions and a lawn cannot be watered at anytime.
You can apply wetting agents, fertilisers, etc., just prior to rain or customers may use an alternative water supply such as greywater, rain water etc.
I have a domestic vegetable garden and the limited watering hours don't suit my needs, can I get an exemption?
No. Stage 3a was developed to reduce the impact on residential gardeners and both ornamental and domestic produce gardens fall under the same rules. These rules allow manual watering between 6 am - 8 am on designated watering days or automatic watering using a dripper system between midnight and 2 am on designated watering days.
The severity of our water situation is really driving innovation in water management, and we encourage our customers to actively pursue the use of alternative sources such as greywater, rainwater (stormwater reuse or tanks) and recycled water.
We also recommend speaking to one of the experts at an authorised Water Saver Garden Centre to discuss water wise solutions.
How do I water/keep my vegetable garden healthy?
You can:
- Water your vegetable garden on your designated watering days;
- Use rainwater;
- Collect drinking water while waiting for the water to heat up in the kitchen and bath as well as rinse water from washing fruit or vegetables;
- Consider using a sunshade to protect your plants from direct sun during the heat of the day;
- Speak to your local nursery or garden centre for more tips.
Other tips for keeping your vegetable garden healthy:
- Good soil preparation is essential. It is important that the soil has the capacity to hold enough water and nutrients to sustain a good crop, and this means you need to add plenty of compost and organic matter to the soil.
- Use organic mulches like pea straw or Lucerne. They help to conserve moisture and break down relatively quickly, improving the structure and fertility of the soil.
- Mix water-storing crystals through the soil before planting your crop. They store water near the plant roots enabling plants to draw water, as they need it. As a consequence plants are better able to withstand dry weather conditions and infrequent watering.
- Fertilise - regular doses of plant tonics and soil conditioners can help plants to cope with stresses like heat and dehydration. They increase root development for optimal water uptake and improve plants' natural resistance to insect and fungal attack - which is a good thing because healthier plants are less susceptible to stress. They also stimulate the root system of plants and increases reproductive capacity - which means more flowers and fruit.
- For vegetables that have already been planted - poke vertical holes into the soil or potting mix around the root zone and trickle a small amount of crystals into each hole. Top off with soil or potting mix and water throroughly.
Dripper Systems
Dripper systems factsheet (PDF 63KB)
What is a dripper system?
A dripper system drips water on, or near to the root zone of plants. The system must use a fixed rate of flow which does not exceed nine litres per hour for every linear meter of watering system. You can contact your local water utility about retrofitting a dripper system to your current watering system.
Where can I purchase a dripper system?
By contacting your local irrigation specialist which you can find by visiting www.irrigation.org.au or by accessing your yellow pages www.yellowpages.com.au (under irrigation). You can also visit your local garden centre.
What areas of my garden can I water with a dripper system?
Dripper systems can water most areas of your garden including: ornamental gardens; plants on slopes and flat ground; and vegetable gardens. Please note that lawns cannot be watered.
Why is it more effective to use a dripper system rather than a spray sprinkler system?
Dripper systems place water directly on the root of plants. They minimise water loss that can be a result of windy conditions, evaporation and run-off. Dripper systems also reduce the risk of plant fungal and insect problems as leaves are not watered.
Is it best to place a dripper system on top of or under soil?
Dripper systems can be laid either above or below the soil or in a layer of mulch. Placing dripper systems in these environments ensures that your plants can absorb the maximum amount of water.
Can I convert my current watering system to a dripper system?
Yes. Existing sprinkler heads can be removed and replaced with drip emitters. Existing holes can be plugged. For further information contact your local irrigation specialist, hardware store or garden nursery.
Why is it best to set my dripper system to low water pressure? How can I ensure that my system is only using 9 litres of water per hour?
You can purchase a flow control device from all good gardening centres and hardware stores that will help you do this.
Rain & soil moisture sensors
What is a rain or soil moisture sensor?
Rain and soil moisture sensors are devices to fitted to automatic watering systems which prevent them from operating when it is raining (in the case of a rain sensor) or when the soil is wet (in the case of a soil moisture sensor).
Why are rain and soil moisture sensors being made mandatory for new automatic watering systems installed from 1 September 2005?
Most new automatic watering systems have a time-based controller which doesn't take into account weather and soil conditions. These watering systems are often activated when it is raining, resulting in the unnecessary wastage of water.
For more information on rain and soil moisture sensors, refer to the fact sheet on Gardens & Lawns(PDF 81KB)
Will there be any financial assistance for the installation of rain or soil moisture sensors?
Yes, under the State Government's Water Smart Gardens and Homes Rebate Scheme, a person purchasing a rain or soil moisture sensor (either separately or as part of an automatic watering system) may be eligible to receive a $30 rebate as part of the $100 basket offer.
For further details on the Water Smart Gardens and Homes Rebate Scheme, please refer to the Our Water Our Future website www.ourwater.vic.gov.au.
How much do rain or soil moisture sensors cost?
There is a wide variety of rain and soil moisture sensors on the market and prices can vary considerably. For more information on prices and which types of sensor will suit your needs, check with your local hardware or nursery supplier.
Watering days for gardens
What if I don't have a house number?
Where there is no house number the property is considered as an 'even' numbered house.
What if my automatic dripper system doesn’t allow me to water on my set days?
There are a number of options available to customers in this situation:
- Re-read the instructions of your system - our research shows that up to 40 per cent of automatic watering system owners do not know how to program their system - otherwise contact the manufacturer for more information.
- Your dripper system may handle ‘set’ days of the week (ie Sat & Tue). If this is the case you will be able to program your system to manage a weeks watering in advance – requiring you to reset your program once weekly.
- If your dripper system does not handle either of these options, perhaps it can be upgraded with additional hardware to make it perform as required under Stage 3a restriction rules. Speak to your product manufacturer or contact your local Water Saver Garden Centre.
- Alternatively you can switch over your automatic dripper system to the manual setting and water according to the manual watering restrictions.
Note: Since 1 September 2005 any new automatic dripper system installed is required to have a rain or soil moisture sensor controller integrated into the system. We recommend that older systems be fitted with such sensors too – in fact it is compulsory for Councils to have these sensors on any automatic watering system.