Queensland Premier Anastacia Palaszczuk announced water to be released from Wivenhoe Dam

More than a million Australians are being told to ‘wash down their cars and driveways’ for free as dam water levels are reduced ahead of an expected deluge this storm season. 

Floodgates on Queensland‘s Wivenhoe Dam will be opened to release 116,000 megalitres of water in a ‘safe and controlled manner’ to reduce the dam level from 90 to 80 per cent. 

Wivenhoe almost overflowed in the drenching the Sunshine State copped in February this year – the water reaching just 39cm below the top of the dam wall. 

‘It’s time for families in South East Queensland to wash down your cars, driveways and maybe even your houses as we safely reduce dam levels ahead of storm season,’ Premier Anastacia Palaszczuk tweeted on Thursday.

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Wivenhoe Dam (pictured)  in south east Queensland nearly overflowed in February this year after months worth of rain fell over a few days

Queensland’s Premier urged residents to was their cars, driveways and homes to use water 

She said the dam level would be lowered to 80 per cent over two weeks beginning from October 15.

‘This is an early attempt to prepare for storm season based on Bureau of Meteorology and expert advice,’ she said.

The 1.38million residents connected to the south-east Queensland water grid will also be given a $55 discount on their water bill, the equivalent of two weeks water for free.

‘It allows for the use of 13,200 litres of free water for each of those homes and families,’ she said.

‘That’s about double the normal household usage over a fortnight.’

Residents in Brisbane, Logan, Noosa, Redlands, The Sunshine Coast, The Gold Coast, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Somerset, Moreton Bay and Scenic Rim are connected to the grid. 

Those on the south east Queensland water grid will get two weeks worth of free water 

The discounts will apply to Queenslanders’ water bills by December and be fully rolled out before March, Ms Palaszczuk said.

The Bureau of Meteorology has declared the third consecutive La Nina event this summer, which is expected to increase rain along the east coast. 

The region is just recovering from one of the wettest summers on record in which the annual rainfall levels for Sydney and Brisbane were hit in a matter of weeks.