The New South Wales government said the greater Sydney region water catchments were experiencing some of the lowest flows since the 1940s, and that the restrictions would be enforced from next week.
Sydney
on Tuesday announced its first major water restrictions in a decade,
putting limits on homes and businesses amid a record-breaking
drought.
The
New South Wales government said the greater Sydney region water
catchments were experiencing some of the lowest flows since the
1940s, and that the restrictions would be enforced from next week.
"Regional
NSW has been experiencing a record drought," the southeastern
state's minister for water Melinda Pavey said in a statement.
"Water
restrictions in Sydney
mean that households across NSW are doing their bit to conserve
water," she added.
People
in Sydney can be fined up to A$220 ($150) or businesses up to A$550
for leaving a hose running or using a sprinkler system to water their
gardens.
Australia
sweated through its hottest-ever summer from last December to
February.
The
country's water management was a hot-button issue in the recent
election following mass fish kills in the Murray-Darling River
system, which authorities blamed on low water flow and oxygen levels.
Scientists
said the severe drought plaguing inland eastern Australia had
contributed to the deaths.
Australia
is no stranger to extreme weather patterns, with bushfires, floods
and drought often occurring during the summer months.
Sydney
last had water restrictions in place in 2009, when all major cities
imposed usage caps amid a severe drought, which had lasted for more
than a decade in some parts of the country.
