Water conservation call for Yackandandah community
17 February 2026
North East Water is calling on Yackandandah residents to voluntarily reduce household water use as dry weather and increased summer demand place pressure on the town’s water supply.
Nine Mile Creek, which supplies drinking water to the community, is currently experiencing very low flows. At the same time, water use across Yackandandah has risen significantly over summer, particularly during two recent heatwave events.
This combination has triggered the potential need for staged water restrictions — something the town has not experienced for 17 years.
General Manager Operations, Systems & Environment, John Day, said a strong community response now could help avoid formal restrictions next month.
“To help avoid or delay the need for restrictions, we’re asking for households to make some simple changes to reduce water use over the next four weeks,” Mr Day said.
“Yackandandah typically uses around 700,000 litres of water per day over summer, but recently, demand has climbed to as high as 1.3 million litres.
“Our goal for the next four weeks is to bring daily use back down to the usual level of 700,000 litres.”
Reducing outdoor water use is the most effective way to lower daily demand. Residents are encouraged to:
• Avoid non essential water use such as washing cars or cleaning windows
• Water gardens only early in the morning or late in the evening, and limit how often watering occurs
• Follow the Permanent Water Saving Rules (www.newater.com.au/pwsr)
• Report leaks or bursts at any time on 1300 361 644
Indoor actions also make a difference, such as taking shorter showers, running dishwashers and washing machines only when full, choosing the half flush on toilets, and turning off taps while brushing teeth or shaving. More tips are available here.
Mr Day said, “We know Yackandandah is a community that pulls together when it matters and by making small changes every day, residents can help protect their local water supply during this dry period.”
Residents can monitor the town’s daily progress and weekly water use scorecards here. The voluntary water use reduction period runs from now until 13 March 2026.