Supply options
Domestic garden bore – single or shared use
In general, bores that draw groundwater from the superficial aquifer for the irrigation of up to 0.2 hectares of land and for household use, are exempt from licensing. Not all areas are suitable for garden bores and the water quality depends on the geographical location. Watering restrictions apply in some locations. For more information and the Department of Water's map of suitable/unsuitable areas in the Perth region, current watering rosters and exemptions visit the garden bore website.
Licensed bore – single user
All other groundwater use (not subject to the above exemption) in proclaimed groundwater areas requires a licence from the Department of Water.
Information on water licensing, proclaimed areas, licence application forms and related documents can be found on the Department of Water website.
Community bore – multiple users
A community bore is a centralised bore or a number of bores supplying groundwater to several properties for watering lawns and gardens and for irrigating public open space. Water from community bores is not suitable for drinking and therefore requires its own pipe network, sometimes referred to as a 'third pipe' scheme. It can also be used to supply non-drinking water into the building for domestic uses, such as toilet flushing. A water service provider is required to operate the third pipe scheme and would be required to obtain a groundwater licence from the Department of Water. For more information read the Department of Water's note on Community bores.