RAIN EVERY DAY BUT STILL NOT ENOUGH
12 August 2004
Despite it raining nearly every day this month, it's still been a slow start to August, with rainfall totals below the same time last year for all Melbourne Water catchment areas.
For August to date, Thomson Reservoir received 72% less rain than the long term average. Upper Yarra received 16.6mm rain, 52% below, O'Shannassy was 28% below in rainfall (32.8mm), and Maroondah Reservoir recorded 31.1mm - 37% below average.
However Melbourne Water Managing Director Brian Bayley said that water storages had continued to increase.
"Even though June was the last month that our catchments received above average rainfalls, the rainfall since then combined with water savings by Melburnians has still been enough for our storages to continue refilling," he said.
"But our catchments will need heavier rain this month if August is going to reach its average."
Melbourne's water storages for the week ending August 12 2004 were 52.4% (928,374 megalitres) full. This is an increase of 11,742 ML since last week (5 August 2004). The increase represents 0.66% of total system storage capacity.
For the same time last year (12 August 2003) Melbourne's water storages were 43.4% (770,052 megalitres) full.