Townsville Water Updates

Watering residential and rural lawns and gardens and the watering of commercial lawns and gardens (including school grounds).

Permanent Water Conservation Measures

Sprinklers only to be used 5pm to 8am, Tuesday to Sunday. Odds and Evens System applies.

Low and Medium Level

Sprinklers only to be used 5am to 7am and 6pm to 8pm, Odds and Evens System applies.

Handheld Watering any time.

High Level

Sprinklers not to be used.

Handheld Watering 6am to 7am and 6pm to 7pm only.

Odds and Evens System applies to Handheld Watering, weeper hoses are restricted to Handheld Watering times.

Critical Level

No sprinklers or Handheld Watering allowed watering cans/buckets only, Odds and Evens System applies to Watering cans/bucket.

Emergency Level

Personal hygiene purposes only.

Townsville City Council Parks and Gardens.

Low Level

14% reduction in irrigation volume.

Medium Level

No watering 9am to 4pm and 25% reduction in irrigation volume.

High Level

No watering 9am to 4pm and 50% reduction in irrigation volume.

Critical Level

No watering 9am to 4pm and 85% reduction in irrigation volume.

Emergency Level

No watering permitted.

Commercial Nurseries and Market Gardens

Low, Medium and High Level

No watering between 9am to 4pm. Watering outside of that time by:

• Water efficient Sprinkler

• Handheld trigger or twist nozzle

• Irrigation System

• Watering can or bucket

Critical Level

No watering between 9am to 4pm. Watering outside of that time by:

• Irrigation System

• Watering can or bucket

Emergency Level

No watering permitted.

Washing vehicles and boats (other than flushing boat motors)

Low Level

No restriction Bucket or water efficient car wash.

Medium or High Level

Bucket or water efficient car wash.

Critical Level

Water efficient car wash.

Emergency Level

No washing vehicles permitted.

Washing hard surfaces other than for safety issues.

Low Level

No restriction

Medium Level

Pressure washes only.

High, Critical or Emergency Level

No washing of surfaces.

Irrigation of sports fields (including school sports fields)

Low Level

Sprinklers only to be used 5am to 7am and 6am to 8pm.

Handheld watering any time.

Or watering to be conducted as per a Council approved Water Efficiency Management Plan (WEMP).

Medium Level

Sprinklers only to be used 6pm to 8pm.

Handheld watering any time.

Or watering to be conducted as per a Council approved Water Efficiency Management Plan (WEMP).

High Level

No Sprinklers to be used.

Handheld watering – Odds and Evens System applies.

Or watering to be conducted as per a Council approved Water Efficiency Management Plan (WEMP).

Critical Level

Watering to be conducted as per a Council approved Water Efficiency Management Plan (WEMP).

Emergency Level

No watering permitted.

Approved Water Supply Emergency Response – means a water supply emergency response approved by the Minister under section 25I of the Water Act 2000.

Drip-Irrigation – means a system that delivers a slow and gradual supply of water directly to the soil profile. Water is applied through a series of drip emitters spaced at regular intervals of at least 30cm and with a maximum emitter output of 8 litres/hour. Drip-irrigation should be designed and installed to apply water to a specific landscaped (e.g. garden bed) area and should be covered to reduce evaporation.

Handheld Watering – means watering a garden with a hose that is being held on to by a person.

Irrigation System – means a network of permanent piping connected to emitters which has been designed and installed to water a specific area, where the maximum output of each emitter must not exceed 9 litres/minute.

Manager – means an individual responsible for overseeing and coordinating specific functions, departments, teams or projects with Townsville City Council.

Non-potable Water – means the water has come from a non-drinking water source, is not suitable for drinking but may still be used for other purposes.

Odds and Evens System – means a system under which water use is regulated having regard to whether the property address is categorised as an Odd or Even number. Water may be used in compliance with the current water restriction level within their designated watering days.

Designated water days:

• Wednesday and Sunday for “Odd” properties

• Tuesday and Saturday for “Even” properties.

Property addresses are categorised as “Odd” if:

• the number of the property within the street is an odd number – for example 3 Jones Street, or Unit “X” 17 Anywhere Crescent.

• there is no allocated street number, then the Lot number of the property is an odd number – for example Lot 11, Smith Road.

• the address includes more than one street number and the first number is odd - for example 143 – 202 Walker Street.

• there is no known Street or Lot number.

Property addresses are categorised as “Even” if:

• the number of the property within the street is an even number – for example 2 Jones Street, or Unit “X” 98 Anywhere Crescent.

• there is no allocated street number, then the Lot number of the property is an even number – for example Lot 18, Smith Road.

• the address includes more than one street number and the first number is even – for example 50 - 73 Long Street.

Personal Hygiene Purposes - using water for drinking, showers, handwashing, and flushing toilets. Water cannot be used for irrigation, handheld watering, clothes washing, dishwashing, filling up pools or washing vehicles or boats.

Sprinkler – means any device for distributing irrigation water other than a hand held hose or a Drip-irrigation system. The term includes a pipe or hose system with a nozzle, a soaker hose and any other device intended to distribute, sprinkle or spray water (including an automatic irrigation system).

Water Efficiency Management Plan (WEMP) – aims to assist business, sporting grounds and schools to better understand their water consumption and to describe what measures they intend to implement to improve their efficiency of water use.

Water Supply Emergency Declaration – means a declaration made under section 25B of the Water Act 2000.

Weeper Hose – means any device for slowly emitting water through a porous pipe where the maximum output per meter must not exceed 16 litres/hour.

Workers – includes employees, contractors, volunteers and all others who perform work on behalf of Council.