END TO UNUSUAL SUMMER RISE IN WATER STORAGES
17 February 2005
After an unusual rise in water storage levels during summer - something Melbourne hasn't seen since February 1996 - Melbourne's water storages dropped slightly over the past week, from 59.7% to 59.5% today.
Melbourne Water Acting Managing Director Grant Wilson said although the four major catchments had already received more than double their February average rainfall, a lack of substantial follow up rain over the past week meant reservoir levels had begun to decline again.
"But despite levels starting to drop again, water storages are at their highest for this time of year since 1999," Mr Wilson said.
"And Melburnians are continuing to save water. On average we have been using about 400 million litres less a day than the daily summer average."
Melbourne's water storages for the week ending 17 February 2005 were 59.5% (1,054,716 million litres) full. This is a decrease of 2,926 ML since last week (10 February 2005).
For the same time last year (17 February 2004) Melbourne's water storages were 53.8% (953,691 million litres) full.