Managing our water for the long term
Protecting rivers and streams
An important part of operating the water supply system is to maintain environmental flows in the rivers below all of Melbourne Water's on-stream reservoirs and weirs.
For example, in 2000-01, Melbourne Water released into rivers and creeks 35 per cent of water flowing into storages (including 54 per cent of flows into the Thomson Reservoir catchment).
Melbourne Water is required to maintain flows in the Yarra River near Warrandyte above 245 megalitres a day.
During drought conditions, Melbourne Water is not permitted to pump water from the Yarra into Sugarloaf Reservoir, and restrictions may be placed on businesses, known as "diverters", that draw water from the Yarra and lower Maribyrnong rivers.
Melbourne Water has developed drought response plans with Yarra and Maribyrnong diverters to ensure irrigators, the environment and urban users share water equitably during times of low flows.
Streamflow management plans are also being established for rivers and creeks in the Yarra catchment under State Environment Protection Policy. Melbourne Water brings together all stakeholders in a working group to develop a blueprint that balances demands on the water resource and provides for a sustainable future for the waterway.
Preparing for drought
Melbourne Water's monitoring of storage levels, streamflow into reservoirs, catchment conditions and climate outlooks is the basis of the Melbourne water industry's drought response plan.
While Permanent Water Saving Rules are here to stay across Melbourne, there may be times when more severe water restrictions are needed to help secure our water future.
Melbourne Water provides the metropolitan retail water companies with information including updates on consumption, rainfall, streamflow, catchment conditions and storage levels.
This information - together with monthly reports that project expected storage levels given low and average rainfall - helps the metropolitan retail water companies prepare for drought and manage their drought response planning. Storage updates can be found on Melbourne Water's website.
Melbourne's metropolitan water retailers, City West Water, South East Water and Yarra Valley Water each have a Drought Response Plan which sets out the exact circumstances for introducing and lifting staged water restrictions.
Under section 78C of the Water Industry Act 1994, the water retailers are seeking to change their Drought Response Plans, to take into account Permanent Water Saving Rules and reflect some revisions to staged water restrictions.
The decision to lift or introduce water saving rules is made by the Victorian Government based on information it receives from Melbourne Water and the retail water companies (City West Water, South East Water and Yarra Valley Water).
The right way: Washing the car and watering the garden at the same time