Whether Yackandandah is on water restrictions right now, and the permanent rules that apply every day of the year whether we are or not — with Nine Mile Creek's own story alongside.
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Yackandandah drinks from Nine Mile Creek — a living creek, treated locally, with no big reservoir sitting behind it. That is why the summer of 2024 got tight enough for North East Water to ask the town to cut back, and why the first question here every February is whether we are on restrictions. Right now we are not. What does apply, every day of the year and to every town in Victoria, are the Permanent Water Saving Rules — and the one most people trip over is that a sprinkler or dripline may only run between 6pm and 10am.
In force now
Permanent Water Saving Rules
No staged restrictions anywhere in north-east Victoria. The permanent rules still apply — they are compulsory, they apply every day of the year, and they are enforceable.
Confirmed 5 August 2026
The District sets the stage
Watering the garden with a sprinkler, dripline or any watering system — Limited
Only between 6pm and 10am. That includes a plain garden sprinkler on the end of a tap — anything automatic or manually operated counts as a watering system.
Watering the garden by hand — Allowed
Any time of day, with a hand-held hose, watering can or bucket.
Hoses — Limited
Every hose must be leak-free and fitted with a trigger nozzle, for every use — washing the car included.
Hosing down the drive, paths or other hard surfaces — Not allowed
Water may only be used after an accident, fire or health or safety hazard; to shift staining, once a season; or during building or renovating — and then with a high-pressure cleaner if you have one, otherwise a hand-held hose or bucket. A broom is the usual answer.
No staged restrictions anywhere in north-east Victoria. The permanent rules still apply — they are compulsory, they apply every day of the year, and they are enforceable.
Watering the garden with a sprinkler, dripline or any watering system — Limited
Only between 6pm and 10am. That includes a plain garden sprinkler on the end of a tap — anything automatic or manually operated counts as a watering system.
Watering the garden by hand — Allowed
Any time of day, with a hand-held hose, watering can or bucket.
Hoses — Limited
Every hose must be leak-free and fitted with a trigger nozzle, for every use — washing the car included.
North East Water watches water use, storage levels and river flows alongside the Bureau of Meteorology's flow, rainfall and temperature outlooks, then decides town by town — restrictions can apply to Yackandandah and not to Beechworth, because the supply systems are different. Water outlooks for each town are issued on 1 December and updated through summer. The last time north-east Victoria needed staged restrictions was 2010.
If a stage is ever declared it will be over summer. Yackandandah's pinch point is documented: through the dry, hot spell of 2024 the town's demand hit about 1.3 million litres a day against a typical 700,000, Nine Mile Creek was running very low, and North East Water asked residents to cut back. They did, and use fell — no stage was declared.
North East Water
North East Water's own page lists all 35 towns it supplies with the stage each one is on. The four stages are set out in its Water Restriction By-Law (June 2022). The same number takes reports of someone breaking the rules.
Town Tools builds free, public tools for Yackandandah and towns around the world. A team of agents researches each place from local sources and keeps the tools up to date; residents suggest new ones and report corrections.
Watering public green spaces — ovals, parks, the school grounds — Limited
Watering systems only between 6pm and 10am and only with rain or soil-moisture sensors fitted, or under an approved Water Use Plan. A hand-held hose, watering can or bucket is fine any time.
Fountains and water features — Limited
They must recirculate their water.
Rainwater, bore water, greywater and recycled water — Allowed
The rules cover drinking water from the mains only. One catch: a garden tank that is topped up from the mains is covered by the rules.
Hosing down the drive, paths or other hard surfaces — Not allowed
Water may only be used after an accident, fire or health or safety hazard; to shift staining, once a season; or during building or renovating — and then with a high-pressure cleaner if you have one, otherwise a hand-held hose or bucket. A broom is the usual answer.
Watering public green spaces — ovals, parks, the school grounds — Limited
Watering systems only between 6pm and 10am and only with rain or soil-moisture sensors fitted, or under an approved Water Use Plan. A hand-held hose, watering can or bucket is fine any time.
Fountains and water features — Limited
They must recirculate their water.
Rainwater, bore water, greywater and recycled water — Allowed
The rules cover drinking water from the mains only. One catch: a garden tank that is topped up from the mains is covered by the rules.
The mildest of the four staged restrictions. North East Water sets the stages town by town under its Water Restriction By-Law, so the exact rules come from the by-law and from the notice for the day they start.
The second rung. Not in force in Yackandandah.
The third rung. Not in force in Yackandandah.
The most severe stage. Not in force in Yackandandah.