Water restrictions in the Forest Hill service region will ease to stage 2 from Tuesday 27 October 2026.
Stage 3 water restrictions were previously announced, in January this year, to help manage customers’ water supply and support the recovery of the local groundwater supply.
Since then, Central Highlands Water (CHW) has continued monitoring groundwater and aquifer recovery, while also introducing further enhancements to the Forest Hill Water Treatment Plant (WTP) over winter.
Higher than average rainfall in June and August, the WTP improvements, and the water conservation efforts of the communities of Allendale, Broomfield, Kingston, Newlyn, Newlyn North, Smeaton, and Springmount have enabled the move to stage 2 water restrictions.
CHW Managing Director, Jeff Haydon, said that shifting from stage 3 to stage 2 restrictions was the result of many positive developments.
“Early in 2026, groundwater recharge was extremely low with aquifer levels comparable to the millennium drought, leading to us introducing stage 3 water restrictions.
“We understand that water restrictions can be challenging, which is why we are especially thankful to the communities across the Forest Hill who made a concerted effort to reduce their water use.
“Through this commitment, these customers used 33% less water from December 2025 – April 2026 than the same period the year prior. This had a major positive impact on aquifer recovery,” Mr Haydon said.
“Over winter our team at CHW has also increased the raw water storage capacity at the Forest Hill WTP, providing additional support on peak usage days or during critical periods.
“We also introduced new monitoring systemsand capabilities, completed maintenanceand continued to build on our knowledge of the system with specialised underground camera work.
‘While the move from stage3 to stage 2 water restrictions is promising, we’re asking households to remain mindful of what is and isn’t permitted during stage2.
“Additionally, small changes really do add up, shorter showers, fixing leaks promptly, using appliances with full loads, and avoiding watering during hotter parts of the day can all help reduce pressure on our supplies and lower household costs.
“We appreciate the efforts already being made across the community, and the impressive impact they have made. Every drop counts, ”Mr Haydon said.
Forest Hill businesses and residents are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the stage 2 water restrictions, which outline when and how water can be used during drier conditions. These measures are in place to help protect local water supplies and support the long-term sustainability of the Forest Hill region groundwater system. Find out more: chw.net.au/restrictions.
CHW is currently assessing water availability and the risk of restrictions across its entire service region ahead of the coming summer months and will be releasing its Annual Water Outlook in December.
