Penalties and enforcement
How will restrictions be enforced?
As with Permanent Water Saving Rules, water utilities will continue to rely on the public to report any suspected breach of water restrictions. We also have Water Patrols to ensure that we have a stronger presence in the community around water restrictions.
Water Patrols look out for customers who are not complying with water restrictions, visit houses where people are asking for advice and provide assistance on restrictions as well as follow-up suspected breaches.
There are over 140 officers and 90 cars patrolling the streets 24 hours a day and are employees from City West Water, South East Water and Yarra Valley Water.
What will Water Patrols do?
Water Patrols will be looking out for residents, businesses and local councils who are not complying with water restrictions.
This includes:
- Watering at the wrong time of day.
- Hosing down paved areas and driveways.
- Using an old twist nozzle on their hose rather than a trigger nozzle.
- Filling a pool without permission from a water utility.
Will there be penalties?
Yes penalties apply. Water restrictions must be followed and Authorised Water Officers can issue fines to customers who do not comply with water restrictions across Melbourne.
Click here for a fact sheet on offences and penalties (PDF 395KB)
Our first priority is to educate the community however we can issue a Penalty Infringement Notice (fine) or restrict supply for repeat breaches. Recent changes in legislation also allow us to issue a fine for serious breaches without providing advance notification.
We have found that in many cases residents and businesses that are issued with a breach notice are inadvertently doing the wrong thing and generally ensure they are compliant in the future.
What is the process?
If a water retailer receives a complaint regarding water use that violates restrictions, we may send an educational letter advising the customer of the current stage of water restrictions and what is and what is not allowed. On other occasions we may visit the customer or site to investigate.
If authorised water officers identify customers breaking Stage 3a water restrictions, they may issue a formal warning or a penalty infringment notice in the mail or in person.
Before a formal warning or fine is issued, authorised water officers will be checking to see if the customer has an exemption or is using rain or grey water, which can be used at any time during Stage 3a water restrictions. We still encourage people who notice people doing the wrong thing to call the water restriction hotline of their local water retailer (13WATER, 13 92837).