Perth watering days 2026-27: sprinkler rules, times and fines

If you are working out which watering days Perth rules give your home, the answer is your street number, not your suburb. Get the day wrong and you can be fined $100. This guide sets out the Perth and Mandurah sprinkler roster, the daily watering window, the 1 June to 31 August switch-off and how breaches are handled. We checked each rule against Water Corporation and WA Government pages on 15 October 2026, and we link them below so you can confirm your own days. For the bigger picture on saving water in the garden, see our guide to waterwise landscaping in Perth.

Find your watering days by street number

Each street number ends in a digit, and each digit gets two watering days a week. Scheme water users and garden bore users in Perth and Mandurah follow the same table.

Some properties need a little more care:

• No street number? Use your lot number instead.
• Villas and apartments? Use the building’s street number, not your unit number.
• More than one street number? Use the higher number. For 22-24 Water Street, that is 24.

The Water Corporation lookup takes your street number and postcode and returns your days. Check it before you set your timer, because the table shows the pattern and the lookup confirms your days.

When you can water on your rostered day

On your rostered day you can run sprinklers once, and only in one of two windows: before 9am or after 6pm. The Water Corporation’s wording is direct: “Only water once before 9am or after 6pm on your rostered watering days.” Garden bores follow the same daily window.

Sprinklers on any other day are a breach, even for a short run.

Winter sprinkler switch-off: 1 June to 31 August

The WA Government states it plainly: “A Sprinkler switch off applies from 1 June to 31 August each year.” It covers scheme water users and domestic garden bores in Perth and Mandurah. Licensed groundwater users, such as councils, schools and businesses irrigating non-commercial turf and gardens, follow their licence conditions instead. Active sporting grounds such as ovals can irrigate in winter.

Two things stay allowed during the switch-off:

• Hand watering. The WA Government confirms hand watering is still permitted.
• New gardens and lawns, with an exemption. If you are establishing a new lawn or garden, you need a temporary exemption to water outside the normal window or during the switch-off. There is no automatic exemption under the Water Agencies (Water Use) By-laws 2010.

This matters if you are laying turf or planting a new garden in winter. Apply for the exemption before the first watering, not after.

What breaches cost

Watering outside your rostered day or window, or running sprinklers during the switch-off, can cost you $100. The Water Corporation says fines are issued “on the spot” for breaches of watering rosters. The WA Government wording is: “Anyone found to be in breach of sprinkler restrictions can be fined $100.”

To report a breach, call the 24/7 Waterwise helpline on 13 10 39.

What has changed for 2026-27

On the official pages we checked on 15 October 2026, we found no change to the Perth and Mandurah roster. Scheme and garden bore users share the same two-day table. Government pages can be updated without notice, so confirm your days on the lookup each season.

Watering tips for Perth gardens

The Water Corporation says that in Perth, most gardens only need about 10 millimetres of water twice a week in summer to stay healthy. Run times depend on your sprinkler type, so check them against your system rather than copying a neighbour’s timer.

Spread chunky mulch about 10 centimetres deep over garden beds to hold moisture. The Water Corporation also advises mixing clay and organic compost into the top layer when you plant, which helps Perth’s sandy soil hold water.

Check your days in two minutes

1. Open the Water Corporation watering days lookup at watercorporation.com.au/wateringdays.
2. Enter your street number and postcode. Use your lot number if you have no street number, and the building’s number if you live in a villa or apartment.
3. Note the two days it returns, then check that your timer runs only on those days.
4. Set each rostered run to a single session, before 9am or after 6pm.

Do this again after you move house, because the days come from the new address, not the old one.

Common mistakes that lead to a fine

• Using the unit number. Villas and apartments use the building’s street number.
• Using the lower number on a split address. Where a property spans more than one street number, the higher number sets the days.
• Watering a new lawn on a non-rostered day without an exemption. Newly planted turf or gardens need a temporary exemption before you water outside the normal days or window.
• Running sprinklers through the winter switch-off. Sprinklers stay off from 1 June to 31 August, even on a day that would normally be yours.
• Trusting an old timer. A timer set up for a previous home or a previous roster still runs on the old days until someone changes it.

Reticulation and garden care from Landscapes For Life

We install and repair reticulation across Perth. If your sprinklers are not covering the right areas, see our reticulation installation and repairs in Perth page, or our garden maintenance Perth service for the beds between watering days.

Frequently asked questions