WATER STORAGES STILL UP ON LAST YEAR
30 June 2005
Melbourne's four major water supply catchments - Thomson, Upper Yarra, O'Shannassy and Maroondah - received between 50mm and 112mm of rain during June - up to 49% below the long term average.
However, despite the below average rainfall, water storage levels dropped by just 0.8% during the month, from 53% on 1 June to 52.2% today.
Melbourne Water Managing Director Rob Skinner said although the catchments recorded well below average rainfall during autumn and June, water storages were about 4% higher than this time last year.
"This is equivalent to about 60,000 million litres - enough water to fill Yan Yean Reservoir twice.
"Melbourne's water storages have been steady over the past week or two, and levels should start to rise again in the coming weeks when the catchments receive some good winter rain," Mr Skinner said.
Melbourne's water storages for the week ending 30 June 2005 were 52.2% (925,752 million litres) full. This is a decrease of 1504 million litres since last week (23 June 2005). The decrease represents 0.08% of total system storage capacity.
For the same time last year (30 June 2004), Melbourne's water storages were 48.8% (865,098 million litres) full.