Urban Water Restrictions

Water restrictions are sometimes used by water corporations to help manage urban water use when water supplies are low. There are four stages of restrictions, ranging from stage one (mild) to stage four (severe). This file reports on urban restrictions that were in place in Victorian towns as at the end of the month from January 2010 onwards.

Water restrictions are only applicable to customers on a piped water (reticulated) supply. They do not apply to the use of recycled, reclaimed, rain or grey water, unless supplemented/topped up by drinking (potable) water.

Water restrictions are managed by Victoria’s urban water corporations. Each stage of restriction is set out in the water restriction by-law of your water corporation and implementation of these restrictions is guided by its Drought Preparedness Plan.

Urban water corporations publish water restrictions on their websites. Visit the Water in Your Region page to find your urban water corporation via the interactive map. https://www.water.vic.gov.au/water-reporting/water-in-your-region

Details of each of the 18 water corporations can be found on the DEECA Water website: https://www.water.vic.gov.au/water-industry-and-customers/know-your-water-corporation

More information on urban water restrictions and the different stages can also be found on the DEECA Water website: https://www.water.vic.gov.au/for-households/water-restrictions-and-rules/permanent-water-saving-rules

Data and Resources

Additional Information

Field Value
Published (Metadata Record) 01/01/2010
Last updated 28/10/2025
Organisation Water and Catchments
Category
License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
Update Frequency Monthly