Central Coast water and sewer · Point 1 of 5: the dams
Central Coast water restrictions, level by level
Central Coast water restrictions come in five levels, each headed by a dam level: Level 1 at 50 per cent, then 40, 35 and 30 per cent, and Level 5 at 25 per cent, when all external use of town water is banned. Which level is in force depends on the dam levels at the time; this guide records no current level, so check Council’s Love Water page before relying on any of it.
General information from Central Coast Council’s Love Water and water supply pages, not advice about a particular property. Love Water is the place to check the level in force.
What restrictions cover
Love Water says restrictions apply as dam storage levels fall during drought, so that there is enough water for everyone. They apply to everyone who uses the Central Coast’s water supply, residents, schools and businesses alike, and they cover outdoor use of town water, including water in urban rainwater tanks that are connected to the town supply or topped up from it.
- Not restricted: bore water and recycled water.
- Not applied: where there is an accident, fire, or hazard to health, safety or the environment, or a risk of one.
- Exemptions: Love Water says an exemption permit may be available in some circumstances, on application.
The dam behind the levels
Love Water’s Water Wise Rules page names the dam for the first step: restrictions begin once Mangrove Creek Dam’s water level reaches 50 per cent.
Mangrove Creek Dam is the Central Coast’s largest, about 50 kilometres north-west of Gosford and built between 1978 and 1982, and Council says it provides 93 per cent of the region’s water storage.
Council’s water supply page carries a graph headed “Current dam water storage levels”. This guide records no reading from it, so look there for the day’s figure.
Level by level, at home
| Level | Lawns and gardens | Pools and spas |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1, dams at 50% | A hand-held hose with a trigger nozzle, or drip irrigation, any day before 10am and after 4pm. No sprinklers. | Existing pools and spas may be topped up, and new ones filled, from the town supply. |
| Level 2, dams at 40% | The same hose or drip system for one hour a day on three days, between 6–9am and 4–7pm: odd-numbered homes on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, even-numbered homes on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. No sprinklers. | Topping up with a hose and filling a new pool from the town supply are allowed; emptying and refilling an existing one with a hose is not. |
| Level 3, dams at 35% | One hour a day on two days, in the same hours: odd-numbered homes on Wednesday and Saturday, even-numbered homes on Thursday and Sunday. No sprinklers. | Top-ups only with a bucket or from a supply other than drinking water. Filling a new pool from the town supply is still listed as allowed. |
| Level 4, dams at 30% | Watering cans, at any time on any day. No hoses or sprinklers, micro sprays included. | Top-ups only with a bucket, not a hose, or from another supply. No filling a new pool from the town supply. |
| Level 5, dams at 25% | All external use of town water is banned. | All external use of town water is banned. |
At Levels 1 to 3 the table also rules out leaving a hose or tap running unattended.
Paths, walls and cars
At Levels 1 and 2, outside building surfaces, including windows, retaining walls, structures such as pergolas and outdoor furniture, may be washed with a trigger nozzle or a pressure cleaner, and a hose with a trigger nozzle may be used to spot clean for safety, health or emergency reasons; a hose may not be used for general cleaning of paths, driveways and paving. From Level 3, the table allows no washing or wetting of any external surface, including paths, driveways, building surfaces, outside furniture and structures.
Cars and boats may be washed with a bucket, or with a hose that has a trigger nozzle or is a pressure cleaner, up to Level 3. At Level 4 road vehicles and boats are washed with a bucket only, though boat trailers may still have a trigger-nozzle hose or pressure cleaner for up to five minutes. At Level 5, a bucket for vehicle windows is the one outdoor use the table leaves.
At every level, the table carries the same line for inside the house: help save water by having internal leaks, such as dripping taps and leaking toilets, repaired as quickly as possible. Those taps and toilets are on the owner’s side, and Council’s guide says a water leak means engaging a licensed plumber, at your own cost.