FAQs: Water Restrictions

The use of recycled water from Wastewater Treatment Plants is strictly regulated and is not permitted to be used at domestic properties.  Recycled water will not be provided from the Wastewater Treatment Plans for domestic use, however you can use greywater from your laundry, shower or bath to water the garden. 

Please see information on Grey Water.

Only residents who are not connected to a reticulated water supply can purchase water and have it delivered via a licensed water carier.  All water purchased from SDRC drinking water supplies are subject to the water restriction guidelines and targets.

Please also see information on the Supply of Bulk Water.

Council acknowledges support is also needed for rural residents – everyone needs water.   Rural residents can access the urban water supply from standpipes located at Warwick (Wallace Street) and Stanthorpe (McKenzie Street) using an Avdata data key.   

Access to these standpipes is available 24 hours, 7 days per week.  

The cost of bulk water from the standpipes is as per Council's current fees and charges. 

Water supplied through the standpipes is more expensive than the water supplied through the town reticulated water supply system. This is because those on the reticulated water supply pay an annual water access fee which contributes to the ongoing maintenance of the water supply network.

Please also see information on the supply of bulk water.

Rural residents can purchase non-drinking water for stock and agricultural purposes from approved private water carters

Council did have a rebate scheme available to residents on the reticulated supply for a number of years. Due to the overwhelming positive take up by eligible residents of the water tank rebate and the impact on Council’s budget, Councillors made a tough decision to place the water tank rebate scheme on hold for the remainder of the financial year. The Water Tank Rebate Scheme came to a conclusion for this financial year at close of business on 31 January 2020.

Each and every person in the community can make a difference. Residents and businesses are being asked to be vigilant about their water usage and to take steps to significantly reduce water consumption. Work together as a community and challenge each other to think of innovative ways to conserve water. Speak with your family, friends and neighbours to help spread the waterwise message.

Council has a number of online resources available to assist residents monitor their water use including the waterwheel. The waterwheel provides a guide for how the residential water target may be used within the home.  Please see Be Waterwise - Residential for more information.

The average residential water use consumption figures are calculated by using the percentage of residential water usage in each town based on the most recent meter reads.  This percentage is applied to the monthly water production figures for water produced from the treatment plant supplying the relevant town.  This volume is then divided by the number of residential connections in the town to find the volume used per household.  The monthly household total is then divided by the number of days in the month to determine the average daily household usage. This figure is then divided by the average number of residents per household (taken from the 2016 Census figures) to produce the litres used per person per day.  Water purchased from the water carters and through the bulk water supply standpipes is not included in these calculations.

Each and every resident plays a part in using and saving the region’s precious water supplies. Water restrictions will be enforced and any incidences of non-compliance should be reported to Council via the MY SDRC App or by contacting Council on 1300 MY SDRC (1300 697 372). As always, water and water use is something we should be talking about as a community. Speak with your neighbours, friends and family, share the message about extreme water restrictions and help conserve water.

Council has introduced water restrictions and will increase enforcement including patrols and issuing fines. Council is using recycled water wherever possible for construction and maintenance activities as well as to maintain Leslie Park in Warwick and other parks and community spaces across the region. Council is also working with local businesses to help them reduce their consumption and conserve water.

Council continues to lobby and work alongside the State and Federal Governments to finalise water supply contingency planning, water security strategies and to seek funding. We need to make sure our Federal and State representatives know the extent of the drought, the impacts it’s having on the region, residents, and its businesses. Every level of government needs to collaborate with Council to help find solutions for the Southern Downs.

Council is calling on the entire community to help reduce consumption.  As drought conditions continue to worsen and tanks and bores on rural properties run dry, rural residents have been required to access urban water, increasing demand on the town water supply.

Enforcement measures are in place to ensure residents are complying with water restrictions to help protect the community’s precious water supply. Any income from water restrictions enforcement will be allocated to general reserve or used to fund vital water security infrastructure.

A number of the region’s sporting clubs, community groups and businesses currently use recycled water supplied by Council. Council is engaging all stakeholders in regards to consumption and is working to balance and prioritise water usage across the entire region. A number of longstanding recycled and raw water contracts are currently under review. Over the transition period we will be engaging with all these users to make sure we are using water efficiently.