MELBOURNE'S water restrictions will be eased to Stage 3 from 3a from Good Friday, and five billion litres of water will be available to farmers in Werribee and Bacchus Marsh.

Premier John Brumby said the “modest easing” would be effective from Friday April 2, with some restrictions eased immediately, the Herald Sun reports.

Stage 3 means that householders will be able to water their gardens every other morning for two hours, up from the existing restriction of two days per week.

However, the Target 155 initiative will remain in place, the Premier said.

Councils will be able to increase their watering of public gardens by 50 per cent, while three in four sportsgrounds and school ovals will be able to water, up from one in four, effective immediately.

There was also good news for farmers, with five billion litres of water being made available to farmers in Werribee and Bacchus Marsh.

And 10 billion litres will be returned to the Yarra and Thomson rivers in environmental flows.

Mr Brumby said the easing of restrictions was good news for Melbourne households.

“Victoria’s water supplies have turned the corner,” he said.

“The easing of water restrictions in Melbourne would not have been possible without the Tarago reservoir reconnection, Sugarloaf pipeline and the desalination plant.”

Speaking on 3AW radio earlier today, Mr Brumby said the easing of restrictions would be “sustainable”.

The latest figures show Melbourne householders' daily water use in the past year was just 154 litres per person.

“We are doing it step by step to be cautious,” he said on 3AW.

“Any decision we make to ease water restrictions will be sustainable.”

Last week Mr Brumby said he was keen to bring some relief to Melburnians.

“Both (Water Minister) Tim (Holding) and I would like to see restrictions eased, we are still waiting, obviously, on more advice,'' Mr Brumby said.

“It is now a fact that in virtually every part of the state, every city outside of Melbourne, we have been able to bring down restrictions.

“It's also a story about Victorians working together in partnership to save water and the benefit of that I think will lead us to this roadmap to ease restrictions.''