Weekly Water Report
2 February 2012
OVERALL
STORAGE
LEVEL
65.2%
WEEKLY
STORAGE
CHANGE
-0.2%
SAME TIME
LAST
YEAR
53.6%
AVERAGE
DAILY
CONSUMPTION
196 L
AVERAGE
CATCHMENT
RAINFALL
24.8mm
Good rain and runoff fail to halt dam decline
Above-average rain and runoff were not enough to stop water storages from decreasing for the third week in a row.
The four major catchments received between 10 and 31mm of rain, at an average of 25mm. This was 70% above the 30-year average for the period.
The rain resulted in 5 billion litres of streamflow into the major reservoirs.
This was slightly more than 25% above the average for the period (4 billion litres), but not enough to pay back the water used by Melbourne over the week.
As a consequence, dam levels decreased by 0.2% of capacity, which represents a net loss of 5 billion litres.
Water storages are now 65.2% (1,180.9 billion litres) full, compared with 53.6% (971.5 billion litres) at the same time last year – a difference of 209.4 billion litres.
Residential water use remained high due to some warm weather, particularly earlier in the period.
Melburnians used an average of 196 litres of water per person per day over the past week. This is 3 litres per day less than the previous week.
Information on water restrictions and tips on how to save water are available from water.vic.gov.au or by contacting the government water retailers.
Stage 1 restrictions are currently in place.
Daily residential water use for Melbourne
PREVIOUS WEEKS
CURRENT WEEK
All figures include non-metropolitan supply for Western Water (supplied since March 2000), which are not included in annual Melbourne metropolitan consumption figures.
Melbourne's water storages
View interactive storage graph for 1997-2012 (opens in a new window)
2009 - 10 2010 - 11 2011 - 12
100% capacity = 1,812,175 ML
NB: Prior to 1 July 2010, 100% capacity = 1,810,500 ML
Total system storage (as of 2 February 2012)
| Reservoir | Capacity at full supply (ML) | Current Volume (ML) | % Full |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomson | 1,068,000 | 584,102 | 54.7% |
| Cardinia | 286,911 | 208,304 | 72.6% |
| Upper Yarra | 200,579 | 165,423 | 82.5% |
| Sugarloaf | 96,253 | 95,170 | 98.9% |
| Silvan | 40,445 | 34,600 | 85.5% |
| Tarago | 37,580 | 21,725 | 57.8% |
| Yan Yean | 30,266 | 26,798 | 88.5% |
| Greenvale | 26,839 | 20,349 | 75.8% |
| Maroondah | 22,179 | 21,718 | 97.9% |
| O'Shannassy | 3,123 | 2,754 | 88.2% |
| Total | 1,812,175 | 1,180,943 | 65.2% |
Rainfall recorded at the reservoirs
| Catchment | 27 Jan - 2 Feb 2012 |
Average for the period* |
Variation | 27 Jan - 2 Feb 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomson | 26.4 mm | 14 mm | 88.6% above | 0 mm |
| Upper Yarra | 24.6 mm | 13.7 mm | 79.6% above | 0 mm |
| O'Shannassy | 30.8 mm | 15.6 mm | 97.4% above | 0 mm |
| Maroondah | 10.2 mm | 18.4 mm | 44.6% below | 0 mm |
* Average (30 year mean 1982-2011)
Stream flow for the major catchments
| Catchment | 27 Jan - 2 Feb 2012 |
Average for the period* |
Variation | 27 Jan - 2 Feb 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomson | 1733 ML | 1360 ML | 27.4% above | 988 ML |
| Upper Yarra | 641 ML | 790 ML | 18.9% below | 846 ML |
| O'Shannassy | 1357 ML | 940 ML | 44.4% above | 1751 ML |
| Maroondah | 1232 ML | 830 ML | 48.4% above | 1200 ML |
| Total | 4963 ML | 3920 ML | 26.6% above | 4785 ML |
* Average (30 year mean 1982-2011)
Note: These results are preliminary and are validated at the end of the month.
Yarra Catchment
Report for period 26 January - 1 February 2012 (inclusive):
Current seven day rolling average flows for:
- Yarra River @ Yarra Glen = 549.6 ML/day (down 91.4 ML/day from the previous week)
- Yarra River @ Warrandyte = 322.5 ML/day (down 100.6 ML/day from the previous week)
- Little Yarra River @ Yarra Junction = 69.9 ML/day (down 5.4 ML/day from the previous week)
- Woori Yallock Creek @ Yellingbo = 83.3 ML/day (down 13.5 ML/day from the previous week)
Total rainfall for February at:
- Upper Yarra Reservoir is 13.6 mm (long-term February average is 46.9 mm)
- Silvan Reservoir is 21.2 mm (long-term February average is 49.7 mm)
Total rainfall for January at:
- Upper Yarra Reservoir is 44 mm (long-term January average for 63.2 mm)
- Silvan Reservoir is 65.2 mm (long-term January average is 59.0 mm)
Maribyrnong Catchment
Report for period 26 January - 1 February 2012 (inclusive):
Rosslyne Reservoir
Melbourne Water's Capacity Share of the storage as at 30 January 2012 was 1710 Megalitres (ML)
- Current release from Rosslyne (as at 30 January 2012) to meet bulk entitlement demands = 6.69 ML/day
Current seven day rolling average flows for:
- Jacksons Creek @ Sunbury = 3.8 ML/day (up 1.4 ML/day from the previous week)
- Deep Creek @ Bulla = 0 ML/day (no change from the previous week)
- Maribyrnong River @ Keilor (Brimbank Park) = 3.3 ML/day (up 0.9 ML/day from the previous week)
Total rainfall for February at:
- Rosslyne Reservoir is 0 mm (long-term February average is 42.3 mm)
Total rainfall for January at:
- Rosslyne Reservoir is 6.4 mm (long-term January average for 45.3 mm)
Note: Passing flows at Keilor, as per the bulk entitlement agreement, require 5.0 ML/day or natural, whichever is the lesser, to be passed at Keilor. Natural flows are based on flows at Deep Ck @ Bulla gauging station.
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