Weekly Water Report
5 March 2010
OVERALL
STORAGE
LEVEL
34.7%
WEEKLY
STORAGE
CHANGE
-0.3%
SAME TIME
LAST
YEAR
30.6%
AVERAGE
DAILY
CONSUMPTION
164 L
AVERAGE
CATCHMENT
RAINFALL
6.5mm
Little rain as storages continue decline


A week of minimal rainfall has seen water storages drop by 0.3% of capacity.
The decrease represents an overall decline of 6.3 billion litres.
The major catchments received between 2.6 to 11.0 mm of rain during the week, with an average of 6.5 mm.
This was 40% below the long-term average for the period, 10.9 mm. As a result, streamflow into the major reservoirs was below par. The 2.0 billion litres of streamflow was 30% below the average of 2.9 billion litres.
With dry conditions in the catchments, consistent rain over days and weeks is needed for storages to increase.
Storages are now 34.7% (627.9 billion litres) full, compared with 30.6% (543.2 billion litres) at the same time last year.
Residential water consumption was above the Target of 155 litres per person per day.
Melburnians used an average of 164 litres each a day.
More information on restrictions and tips on how to reach the target are available from Target 155 or by contacting the government water retailers.
Stage 3a restrictions and Target 155 are currently in place.
Daily residential water use for Melbourne
PREVIOUS WEEKS
CURRENT WEEK
TARGET 155
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 1997-2010 (opens in a new window)
2007-08 2008-09 2009-10
100% capacity = 1810.5 GL
NB: Prior to 26 June 2009, 100% capacity = 1773 GL
Total system storage (as of 4 March 2010)
| Reservoir | Capacity at full supply (ML) | Current Volume (ML) | % Full |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomson | 1,068,000 | 227,288 | 21.3% |
| Cardinia | 287,000 | 101,305 | 35.3% |
| Upper Yarra | 200,000 | 134,311 | 67.2% |
| Sugarloaf | 96,000 | 60,531 | 63.1% |
| Silvan | 40,000 | 35,900 | 89.8% |
| Tarago | 37,500 | 21,826 | 58.2% |
| Yan Yean | 30,000 | 8,157 | 27.2% |
| Greenvale | 27,000 | 18,640 | 69.0% |
| Maroondah | 22,000 | 17,613 | 80.1% |
| O'Shannassy | 3,000 | 2,353 | 78.4% |
| Total | 1,810,500 | 627,924 | 34.7% |
Rainfall recorded at the reservoirs
| Catchment | 26 Feb - 4 Mar 2010 |
Average for the period* |
Variation | 26 Feb - 4 Mar 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomson | 2.6 mm | 11.6 mm | 77.6% below | 10.8 mm |
| Upper Yarra | 11 mm | 9.7 mm | 13.4% above | 17 mm |
| O'Shannassy | 7.2 mm | 10.8 mm | 33.3% below | 22.6 mm |
| Maroondah | 9.6 mm | 11.8 mm | 18.6% below | 26.8 mm |
* Average (30 year mean 1980-2009)
Stream flow for the major catchments
| Catchment | 26 Feb - 4 Mar 2010 |
Average for the period* |
Variation | 26 Feb - 4 Mar 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomson | 667 ML | 970 ML | 31.2% below | 410 ML |
| Upper Yarra | 291 ML | 630 ML | 53.8% below | 127 ML |
| O'Shannassy | 692 ML | 690 ML | 0.3% above | 381 ML |
| Maroondah | 388 ML | 630 ML | 38.4% below | 395 ML |
| Total | 2038 ML | 2920 ML | 30.2% below | 1313 ML |
* Average (30 year mean 1980-2009)
Note: These results are preliminary and are validated at the end of the month.
Yarra Catchment
Report for period 25 February - 3 March 2010 (inclusive):
- Current seven day rolling average flows for Yarra River @ Yarra Glen = 223 ML/day (down 113.3 ML/day from the previous week)
- Current seven day rolling average flows for Yarra River @ Warrandyte = 207.5 ML/day (up 10.5 ML/day from the previous week)
- Current seven day rolling average flows for Little Yarra River @ Yarra Junction = 16.4 ML/day (down 0.8 ML/day from the previous week)
- Current seven day rolling average flows for Woori Yallock Creek @ Yellingbo = 15.9 ML/day (down 1.4 ML/day from the previous week)
- Total rainfall at Upper Yarra Reservoir for March is 11.2 mm (long-term monthly average for March is 57.8 mm)
- Total rainfall at Upper Yarra Reservoir for February is 69.8 mm (long-term monthly average for February is 45.4 mm)
- Total rainfall at Silvan Reservoir for March is 0.8 mm (long-term monthly average for March is 58.6 mm)
- Total rainfall at Silvan Reservoir for February is 36.6 mm (long-term monthly average for February is 49.1 mm)
Maribyrnong Catchment
Report for period 25 February - 3 March 2010 (inclusive):
Rosslyne Reservoir
Melbourne Water's Capacity Share of the storage as at 1 March 2010 was 31 Megalitres (ML)
- Current release from Rosslyne (as at 1 March 2010) to meet bulk entitlement demands = 0 ML/day
- Current seven day rolling average flows for Jacksons Creek @ Sunbury = 0 ML/day (down 0.7 ML/day from the previous week)
- Current seven day rolling average flows for Deep Creek @ Bulla = 1.3 ML/day (down 12.5 ML/day from the previous week)
- Current seven day rolling average flows for Maribyrnong River @ Keilor (Brimbank Park) = 1.3 ML/day (down 5.4 ML/day from the previous week)
- Total rainfall at Rosslyne Reservoir for March is 0.4 mm (long-term monthly average for March is 40.6 mm)
- Total rainfall at Rosslyne Reservoir for February is 48.6 mm (long-term monthly average for February is 40.6 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.
View our archived weekly water updates.