Private or Residential Premises

To use sprinklers and/or a hand-held hose outside of allowed hours to establish new lawn or plants.

Exemptions are generally not issued for watering outside allowed hours for establishment of new lawns.

Exemptions are generally not issued for watering outside the allowed hours for establishment of new plants, except by a landscape contractor.

Paved areas cleaning
What is allowed use?

To use a hand-held hose to clean a dangerous oil spill on my driveway.

Examples of situations where cleaning of paved areas may be necessary as a result of accident, fire, health hazard or other emergency include (but are not limited to):

1. spillage of harmful chemicals;
2. spillage of substances that present a possible slip or other health or safety concern; and
3. overflow of sewerage or excrement on paved areas.

Exemptions will not generally be granted for cleaning for aesthetic purposes.  Aesthetic purposes include:

1. cob webs;
2. dust; or
3. bird droppings,

where these things do not represent a health hazard.

Exemptions must be applied for:

1. cleaning of offensive graffiti on paved areas, or cleaning of graffiti where its continued presence is likely to damage the structure on which it has been applied; and
2. where cleaning is necessary to abide by the provision of a tenancy agreement or lease which requires the external paved areas of premises to be cleaned at the expiry or termination of the tenancy or lease.

Conditions applicable to exemptions:  As a condition of any exemption granted the person doing the cleaning must use a high-pressure low-volume cleaner or a bucket and mop or squeegee.

To whom may an exemption be granted?
Contracted cleaners. Exemptions that allow cleaning by contractors may be expressed to apply to all customers/ a specified class of customers/ an individual customer of the contractor. ^†

† NB. The occupier of premises is responsible for all water usage on that property. If potable water drawn from ACTEW’s water supply is used on the premises in contravention of a water restriction or an exemption it is the occupier who is liable.

Construction and related activities (which includes roof restoration and repair or replacement of tiling as well as surface preparation for painting) - are subject to different conditions to those applicable to the washing of paved areas under the water restrictions scheme.

General exemption applies from 15 November 2008 to 30 November 2008 inclusive:
A general exemption exists to allow paved areas to be cleaned at any time during the period 15 to 30 November 2008 using a bucket and mop/brush or high-pressure low-volume cleaner.

Outside the period 15 to 30 November 2008, water must not be used to clean paved areas unless necessary as a result of accident, fire, health hazard or other emergency.

Note - where washing is necessary as a result of accident, fire, health hazard or other emergency, such cleaning may be undertaken at any time using the most appropriate method.

Private Swimming Pools
What is allowed use?
ACTEW definition: Private Swimming Pool

For the purpose of managing water restrictions, ACTEW considers a private swimming pool a pool with a capacity to hold 3,000 litres or more, whether or not it is temporary or permanent. (As such restrictions do not apply to pools with a capacity of less than 3000 litres)

These guidelines apply to all pools falling under the ACTEW definition.

Pools must not be emptied, filled or topped up without written exemption.

Exemptions may be granted from: 1 November 2008 to 28 February 2009 inclusive.

Exemptions may be granted to fill new and existing private swimming pools between 1 November 2008 and 28 February 2009, provided that the exemption application includes evidence that demonstrates to ACTEW’s satisfaction that the following criteria have been met at the premises where the swimming pool is located:

1. the swimming pool is covered when not in use; and
2. at least three of the following are satisfied:
   1. the swimming pool uses a cartridge filtration system instead of a sand filter; and/or
   2. the swimming pool filter uses a water efficient medium instead of sand for filtration.  A “water efficient medium” includes any filtration device (such as recycled glass) able to demonstrate a 20% or greater reduction in water use; and/or
   3. has at least one rainwater tank installed for use; and/or
   4. drip irrigation systems are installed on most (that is, more than 50 percent) of the garden beds at the premises; and/or
   5. mulch is used on all garden beds; and/or
   6. rain/soil moisture sensors are installed on, and are used in conjunction with, a garden irrigation system; and/or
   7. at least one of the occupiers has had a GardenSmart * service carried out by the ACT Government; and/or
   8. at least one of the occupiers has
      1. attended an ACTEW Waterwise Gardening Workshop **; or
      2. completed an ACTEW Waterwise Gardening Quiz online**; and/or
   9. has two or more of the following devices installed^†:
      1. dual-flush toilets;
      2. three-star or better water efficient showerheads;
      3. four-star or better water efficient washing machine;
      4. tap aerators

* Requires appearance on ACT Government’s attendance list.
**Requires appearance on ACTEW’s attendance list OR a receipt number issued after completing the online quiz.
†Requires confirmation from a licensed plumber by completing this form or by contacting ACTEW on 6248 3131 to arrange a form to be sent to you.

Ongoing general exemption - topping up private swimming pools

A general exemption is in place that allows private swimming pools to be topped up, provided that:

1. the pool is registered with ACTEW; and
2. the topping up is conducted in accordance with the following conditions.

Pool registration
As a condition of the general exemption allowing pools to be topped up, private pool owners must have registered their pool with ACTEW by completing and lodging the pool registration form prior to topping up their pool.

Once the pool registration form has been fully completed and lodged, pools may topped up in accordance with the applicable exemption conditions below.

Registration of pool ownership form

Exemption conditions applicable to topping up existing swimming pools

Where a pool cover is used when the pool is not in use
Existing pools that are covered when not in use by a pool blanket or similar that covers at least 80% of the water surface area may be topped up by a hand-held attended hose between 7-10am or between 7-10pm on alternate days as per the ‘odds and evens’ system.

Where a pool cover is not used
Existing pools that are not covered when not in use by a pool blanket or similar that covers at least 80% of the water surface area may be topped up between 7-10am or between 7-10pm on alternate days as per the ‘odds and evens’ system but only by use of a bucket or watering can filled directly from a tap and not a hose.

Pool servicing/maintenance contractors

Water Storage tanks

What is allowed use?

To use a water carrier to fill up a water tank with potable water.

Water carriers may be granted an exemption to fill or top up water storage tanks on premises that do not have access to potable water through the mains water supply.

Windows and Buildings

What is allowed use?

To use potable water to clean organic material from a building’s external surfaces for immediate health and safety reasons.

Examples of situations where cleaning of buildings or windows may be necessary as a result of accident, fire, health hazard or other emergency include (but are not limited to):

1. spillage of harmful chemicals;
2. spillage of substances that present a possible slip or other health or safety concern; and
3. overflow of sewerage or excrement on buildings or windows.

Exemptions will not generally be granted for cleaning for aesthetic purposes.  Aesthetic purposes include:

1. cob webs;
2. dust; or
3. bird droppings,

where these things do not represent a health hazard.

Exemptions must be applied for:

1. cleaning of offensive graffiti on buildings or windows, or cleaning of graffiti where its continued presence is likely to damage the structure on which it has been applied;
2. where external surfaces, if not cleaned, may later suffer structural problems or other damage; and
3. where cleaning is necessary to abide by the provision of a tenancy agreement or lease which requires the external surfaces of buildings or windows of premises to be cleaned at the expiry or termination of the tenancy or lease.

Conditions applicable to exemptions:  As a condition of any exemption granted the person doing the cleaning must use a high-pressure low-volume cleaner or a bucket and mop or squeegee.

To whom may an exemption be granted?
Contracted cleaners. Exemptions that allow cleaning by contractors may be expressed to apply to all customers/ a specified class of customers/ an individual customer of the contractor. ^†

† NB. The occupier of premises is responsible for all water usage on that property. If potable water drawn from ACTEW’s water supply is used on the premises in contravention of a water restriction or an exemption it is the occupier who is liable.

Construction and related activities (which includes roof restoration and repair or replacement of tiling as well as surface preparation for painting) - are subject to different conditions to those applicable to the washing of buildings and windows under the water restrictions scheme.

General exemption applies from 15 November 2008 to 30 November 2008 inclusive:
A general exemption exists to allow windows and buildings to be cleaned at any time during the period 15 to 30 November 2008 using a bucket and mop/brush or high-pressure low-volume cleaner.

Outside the period 15 to 30 November 2008, water must not be used to clean windows or buildings unless necessary as a result of accident, fire, health hazard or other emergency. However, building gutters may be cleaned at any time.

Note - where washing is necessary as a result of accident, fire, health hazard or other emergency, such cleaning may be undertaken at any time using the most appropriate method.