You can water lawns and gardens: 

 before 10 am or after 4 pm using a hand-held hose fitted with a trigger nozzle

 between 10 am and 4 pm using a watering can or bucket

 any time with drip irrigation systems

 any time with watering systems featuring one of these:

• automated weather adjustment
• rain sensor
• soil moisture sensor.

You can water new turf:

 1 - 2 times a day before 10 am and after 4 pm for one week after it's delivered, as long as you follow the instructions provided by the turf supplier.

 using sprinklers (including soaker hoses) and watering systems ONLY if the newly turfed area is 70 m² or greater, for this one week period.

You cannot:

 use sprinklers and soaker hoses after the one week establishment period, unless you have an exemption permit.

You can:

 top up an existing pool or spa with drinking water to replace water lost through evaporation

 fill a new or renovated pool that holds less than 10,000 litres with drinking water without a permit.

You cannot:

 fill a new or renovated pool or spa that holds more than 10,000 litres with drinking water, if you don't have a one-off pool filling permit and an approved pool cover permanently attached to the pool. Your pool supplier must have a business water restriction exemption permit before they work on your pool at your property. 

You can:

  spot clean hard surfaces for health, safety or emergency reasons, using a hose fitted with a trigger nozzle or high pressure cleaning equipment.

You cannot at any time:

 clean hard surfaces with a hose such as paths, driveways and paved areas as part of general cleaning  

  leave hoses and taps running unattended.

You can:

 wash non-commercial vehiclesand buildings at any time using a bucket, a hose fitted with a trigger nozzle or high pressure cleaning equipment

 clean garbage bins and bin wash bays using a hose fitted with a trigger nozzle or high pressure cleaning equipment

 flush boat engines using a specially designed flushing device attached to the hose

 clean bilges and essential safety components on boat trailers, such as brakes and wheels using a hose fitted with a trigger nozzle or high pressure cleaning equipment.

You cannot at any time:

 wash vehicles and buildings using a hose without a trigger nozzle

 leave hoses and taps running unattended. 

Types of water excluded	Uses of water excluded
Recycled water (supplied in some parts of Sydney through purple pipes)	Water parks - the exclusion only applies to publicly accessible permanent structures. Inflatable, mobile or temporary water play areas of any type are not covered by this exclusion
Greywater (water from sinks, showers, washing machines etc)	Water used for firefighting, testing and related activities, including clean-up
Rainwater (as long as the tank/dam isn't topped up from, or switched to, the drinking water supply)	Water used for dust suppression
Bore water
River water (you need to have a licence)

If you're using a sprayer attached to your hose to apply chemicals (such as fertiliser or pesticide), the sprayer must have an on-off water flow control on the handpiece.

The on-off control must enable you to quickly and completely shut off the flow of water through the sprayer when the chemical is not being actively applied.

It is important that you turn the water flow off when you're not actually applying the chemical.

If you're a non-residential customer and you use water outdoors, you may be able to apply for an exemption. Please read the restrictions and exclusions carefully first as you may not need to apply for an exemption.

Find out more about water restrictions exemption requests.

If you see someone deliberately misusing water, you can  make a report about water restrictions.