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Water Conservation Measures

Strong lawns are watered just enough!

Remember, water no more than twice a week in the dry and never in the wet. Let’s use our water wisely as wet season begins and rain and humidity returns.

Townsville soils typically get more than enough rain from December to March, so you can switch off your irrigation and let the rain do the heavy lifting. This will help conserve precious water for the drier months.

View the Wet Season Lawn Care Calendar (PDF)

What This Means for You

We understand how important our water is and is striving to preserve this precious resource whilst still allowing residents to use water when they need it. As a city we need to use our water wisely to ensure Townsville’s water supply is secure now and into the future.

Although these measures provide residents with more flexibility over their watering times, it is important to keep in mind that gardens only need 4 to 6 hours of watering per week to thrive. Watering times should also be reduced following periods of rainfall.

Lawns, Grounds and Gardens (Residential, Rural, Commercial and School)

Sprinklers can be used from 5pm on your allocated day until 8am the following day, using an odds and evens system. The odds and evens system is designed to minimise impact on the city's water reticulation system.

Even Houses

For even houses, sprinklers can be used:

Tuesday from 5pm to Wednesday 8am
Thursday from 5pm to Friday 8am
Saturday from 5pm to Sunday 8am

Odd Houses

For odd houses, sprinklers can be used:

Wednesday from 5pm to Thursday 8am
Friday from 5pm to Saturday 8am
Sunday from 5pm to Monday 8am

Handheld watering with a trigger nozzle can be done at any time on any day, although we recommend the early mornings and evenings where possible.

Important note: Remember that weeper hoses are most effective when used on garden beds and covered by mulch, they are not recommended for use on exposed areas like lawn.