Getting your water ready for bushfire season in NSW
Bushfire season is under way across NSW. Most preparation lists start with clearing and gutters, but a lot of it comes down to water: having enough of it, keeping it clean, and making sure it reaches where it's needed. Here's the water side of getting a home ready, from the NSW Government and NSW RFS advice.
Hoses that reach all the way round
The NSW Government's checklist asks you to have hoses long enough to reach around the front and back of your house. Walk it with the hose before a hot day, not during one. Check the taps the hoses run from, and make sure a hose left in the sun hasn't perished or split.
Gutters: clean them, guard them, and think about sprinklers
Leaves in gutters are an easy target for embers. The NSW Government and NSW RFS both list cleaning gutters and fitting metal gutter guards. The NSW Government's list also includes a fire sprinkler system on your gutters, which wets the roof edge where embers land.
A gutter sprinkler system draws on your water supply, so think about where the water comes from. On mains, that's your water pressure. On tank water, it's your pump and how much is in the tank.
NSW Government: prepare your home for bushfire
Rainwater tanks: keep the water clean
If you rely on a rainwater tank, bushfire season brings ash and debris into the roof water. The NSW Government's advice is to:
- fit first-flush diverters, so the first dirty water off the roof doesn't reach the tank
- fit leaf stoppers on the downpipes and guards on the gutters
- seal the tank so vermin can't get in
- disconnect the downpipes from the tank if there is a bushfire nearby.
Disconnecting the downpipes is easier when it's planned ahead. If yours are fixed hard into the tank, it's worth knowing how they come apart before the day you need to do it.
A free sign so firefighters can find your water
NSW RFS runs a free Static Water Supply program. If you have a pool, tank or dam holding more than 3,000 litres, it can be marked with a sign so firefighters know there's water they can use. To get one, contact your local NSW RFS Fire Control Centre.
NSW RFS: Static Water Supply program
Gas bottles
The same NSW Government checklist says to store gas bottles as far from the house as possible, with the outlet pointing away from the house. If moving bottles means changing the gas line to the house, that's work for a licensed gas fitter.
A quick checklist before a hot day
- Hoses connected, and long enough for the front and back of the house.
- Gutters cleared and guarded.
- Gutter sprinklers, if you have them, run and checked.
- Tank: first-flush diverter and leaf stoppers clear, and you know how to disconnect the downpipes.
- Pump: switched on, primed and running. If it relies on mains power, have a plan if the power goes out.
- Pool, tank or dam over 3,000 litres: ask your Fire Control Centre about a Static Water Supply sign.
- Gas bottles: outlets pointing away from the house.
None of this replaces your bushfire survival plan. NSW RFS has more on preparing your property and your plan.
NSW RFS: prepare your property
Advice checked against the linked NSW Government and NSW RFS pages in October 2026. Follow your local fire service's advice on the day.
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