"It's pretty easy to feel estranged from the drought in the city when you can turn the tap on and brush your teeth. We're not the ones worrying where our next glass of water is coming from."

So says St Ives mother-of-three Kellie Parkin as she educates her children on water conservation ahead of level two water restrictions being enforced in Sydney from Tuesday.

Kellie Parkin and her son, Bodhi Houlihan, 11, save water by using a watering can instead of a hose on their garden. Credit:Edwina Pickles

"If we re-purposed all of our safe grey water to our gardens, then the garden wouldn’t have as great a demand for our drinking water," she said.

Sydney will experience the strictest water restrictions in a decade when the new rules come into effect. With the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting a hot, dry summer, and Warragamba Dam having fallen to 45.9 per cent capacity, restrictions will be enforced in the Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains and Illawarra areas.