Waterwise Council

Winter sprinkler switch off
The winter sprinkler switch off applies to all scheme and bore water users in Perth from 1 June to 31 August every year.
The City is adhering to the requirements of the winter sprinkler switch off, however sports ovals are permitted to irrigate during winter due to their frequent  use, safety considerations and new planting. The City will be running very short irrigation cycles on its sports ovals to ensure its reticulation systems are operational.

Find out your watering days​
Find out your watering days through the Water Corporation.

Establishing new lawns and gardens​
If you are establishing a new lawn or garden and plan to use sprinklers between 9am and 6pm you must register to obtain an exemption during the winter sprinkler switch off. Exemptions can be submitted online to the Water Corporation or phone 13 10 39.
 

The City is currently developing an Action Plan that will be submitted to Council for approval in 2021. 

The City of Cockburn has a licence to extract groundwater for the irrigation of Public Open Spaces, Sporting Ovals and Streetscapes from the Department of Water. The licence sets the amount if water that can be taken from the ground at specific locations and outlines other management conditions. 
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The Parks Team have developed and implemented a water conversation strategy to ensure the City complies with the licence. Actions include:

• Bore Meeting
• Replacing inefficient irrigation systems
• Hydrozoning
• Grouping plants of similar water requirements to conserve water
• Designing irrigation systems for these plant species
• Soil monitoring equipment (indicates the water levels in the soil profile)
• Undertaking turf renovation programs
• Applying watering programs to meet the amount of water that can be taken from the ground
• Planting of appropriate trees and shrubs that require minimal water.

All Local Governments are not permitted to irrigate between 9am and 6pm, however exemptions apply:

• Installing, testing and repairing reticulation systems
• Applying wetting agents and fertilisers
• Firefighting requirements
• Establishment of new turf, gardens or grass covered sporting grounds