Water Minister Graham Jacobs announced today that a winter sprinkler ban would be introduced for Perth, Mandurah and the whole of southern Western Australia from Wednesday, July 1 to run until August 31. 

The ban will apply to integrated scheme water and garden bore users and selected licensees.

Dr Jacobs said State Cabinet, which met in Albany this morning, had agreed with his recommendation that a winter ban across the whole of southern WA be trialled for two months.  

The enforceable ban refers to existing areas that utilise the two-day roster system established by Water Corporation regulations.  The residents supplied by Bunbury Aqwest and Busselton Water Board are included in the winter ban arrangements.

The Minister said the purpose of the ban was not simply a common sense initiative because of the present high consumption levels in a drying climate but also a considered approach to water usage by-law and regulation policy development to encourage behavioural change in this area.

“A critical part of our overall water supply strategy is to restrain water demand through the sprinkler roster and other initiatives. This year that didn't happen very effectively and up until recently water consumption was ridiculously high despite the drier and warmer than normal winter conditions,” he said.

“Fortunately, in the past couple of weeks, following strong appeals by both myself and the Water Corporation, consumption has dropped to what would be expected for this time of the year but it is a fact that consumption is still above where we would like it.

“The result is that in a year when we have the third driest start to winter on record our dams remain low as we come into the second winter month and our water use is close to nine billion litres above the expected usage for the 12 months ending July 1.”

Dr Jacobs said the trial sprinkler ban provided clear and immediate policy intent from the State Government at a time when the Water Corporation says if inflows for the 2009 winter were as poor as those experienced in 2006, the only way to avoid possible restrictions later in the year would be to access further groundwater than currently intended from the Gnangara groundwater system.

“This ‘undesirable’ level of abstraction could continue until the Southern Seawater Desalination Plant was commissioned in 2011,” the Minister said.

“The intent of this trial is to change community perceptions and behaviour about water consumption driven by inappropriate use of sprinkler systems in winter.

“Irrigation experts have consistently said that in many parts of southern Western Australian gardens do not need watering during winter.  This trial will identify if and how permanent bans should be applied in winter.

“The trial enforceable ban will help provide the right information to correctly target any wider permanent winter restrictions.  Water Corporation inspectors will be empowered to impose a fine for a breach of the winter sprinkler ban during this trial period.”

Dr Jacobs said the garden-based industries, while exempt from the ban would be closely involved in the assessment of the trial.