Water restrictions to return

Water restrictions are about to return to seven North East Victorian towns after dry conditions through September and October.

Beechworth, Myrtleford, Glenrowan, Springhurst, Corryong, Cudgewa and Whitfield will move to Stage 1 restrictions at noon tomorrow (Friday 21 November), some after more than eight months without them.

North East Water says river flows and inflows into town storages have been well below the spring average, and many reservoirs would fail to fill prior to summer.

Drought Response Manager, Terry Wisener, said reservoir levels were already starting to fall as usage increased.

"Now is the time to begin reducing usage to help avoid the need for harsher restrictions further down the track," he said.

"We need to try and maintain storage levels before the beginning of the hot weather."

Tomorrow's change will bring to 20 the number of North East Water towns currently on water restrictions.

All the towns supplied from the Murray River are on Stage 2 restrictions, including Tallangatta, Bellbridge, Wodonga, Kiewa, Tangambalanga, Rutherglen, Wahgunyah, Yarrawonga, Tungamah, St James and Devenish. 

Goorambat is also on Stage 2, while Chiltern moved to Stage 3 water restrictions on 14 November.

Under Stage 1 water restrictions:

1. A garden area must not be watered except by means of:

  • a manual watering system which operates only as required within the hours of 6.00am and 8.00am and 8.00pm and 10.00pm on alternate days; or
  • an automatic watering system, which operates only as required within the hours of midnight and 4.00am on alternate days.

2. A lawn area must not be watered except by means of;

  • a manual watering system which operates only as required within the hours of 6.00am and 8.00am and 8.00pm and 10.00pm on alternate days; or
  • an automatic watering system, which operates only as required within the hours of midnight and 4.00am on alternate days.

3. A garden or lawn area may be watered using a hand-held hose fitted with a trigger nozzle, or a watering can or bucket filled either by a hand held hose fitted with a trigger nozzle, or directly from a tap, at any time.

For more information on Stage 1 restrictions, click here.