GOOD RAIN LIFTS STORAGES A LITTLE
17 November 2005
Good rainfall in the four major catchments this week helped boost storages slightly from last week, with an overall increase of 0.1% (1, 157ML) in total storage capacity to 60.2% (1,066,966 million litres) full.
Between 22mm and 29mm of rain fell in the four major catchments - Maroondah, O'Shannassy, Upper Yarra and Thomson - in the 24 hours to 8am on Tuesday 15 November.
Further good rains towards the end of November should see Melbourne achieve the long-term average (LTA) levels of rainfall in each of the major catchments for November with 75.6% of the long term average having already been recorded in Maroondah, 79.8% of the LTA in O'Shannassy, 81.1% of the LTA in Upper Yarra and 57.2% of the LTA in Thomson.
However, despite this good rainfall Melbourne's water storages are only 0.1% higher than at the same time last year when Melbourne was on Stage 2 water restrictions. Therefore, as we get closer to summer, it is increasingly important that Melburnians try to reduce water consumption and conserve water by following the permanent water saving rules.