Desalination plants ‘not a licence to waste’, warns Water Corp as watering breaches spike
Irrigation violations in Perth rose by more than 27 per cent last year, prompting the Water Corporation to launch a new campaign to restrict household water use.
Inspectors increased the number of violations from 585 the previous year to 745 in 2025.
Household consumption in 2023-24 also reached its highest level in a decade, reversing almost 20 percent of the decline seen since the mid-2000s.
Since new irrigation restrictions were introduced in 2022, bore water sprinklers have also been limited to two days per week, in line with the plan’s water schedule.
The Water Corporation issued 392 violation notices for bore irrigation violations in the 2024-25 financial year, continuing the upward trend of 337 in 2023-24 and 170 in 2022-23.
Watering on the wrong days or violating sprinkler restrictions usually results in an immediate $100 fine.
The Water Company is using a household bucket to demonstrate the extent of water wasted in suburban gardens through its Don’t Waste Buckets campaign, while also reminding residents to stick to twice-weekly watering days.
As highlighted in the campaign, using sprinklers just one extra day a week consumes approximately 3132 liters of water per month; This is equivalent to 348 bucketfuls.
Water Corporation executive demand delivery Damien Postma believes everyone can make a difference by following simple water habits.
“West Australians are overwhelmingly doing the right thing, but with demand increasing and rainfall continuing to decrease, it is crucial that we continue to live the water message every day,” Mr Postma said.
“We need to get back to water basics by sticking to the watering list, fixing leaks in the house, and limiting showers to no more than four minutes. And when rain is predicted, turn off your sprinklers so nature can do its job.”
“Water changes that seem small at the household level make a big difference across society and help ensure collective water security in the future.”
Perth’s annual dam flow has fallen from an average of 420 billion liters 50 years ago to a fraction of that today.
The 20 percent decrease in precipitation resulted in an 80 percent decrease in flow to dams and weakened groundwater recharge.
While there is currently a seawater desalination plant at Kwinana and another under construction at Alkimos to help secure Perth’s water supply, the Water Corporation said the plants were not “licensed to waste” the city’s resources.
“We actually need to be more careful than ever about water,” Mr. Postma said.
“Perth once received reliable rainfall year-round, but the intermediate seasons in autumn and spring now routinely record below-average falls.”
Research shows that although gardens account for more than 30 percent of household water use, one in five people are unaware of their allocated watering list.
As part of the Don’t Waste Buckets campaign, a mobile display full of blue buckets now roams the streets of Perth, serving as a striking visual of the water lost through household waste.
To check your watering days and learn more water tips, visit: watercorporation.com.au.
