21 October 2010
Drenching sustains dam boost
Good catchment rainfall has kept the rally in storage levels going in the past week, with dams increasing by 15 billion litres (0.9%).
This week saw the system’s biggest storage, Thomson Reservoir, receive its highest single-day total (40mm) in more than a year.
The weekly total across the major catchments ranged from 41mm to 63mm, at an average of 55mm.
This was double the 30-year average for the period, 27mm.
Given the already-wet state of the catchments, the volume of water flowing into the major reservoirs was also well above the norm.
The 20 billion litres of streamflow was 35% higher than the 30-year average of 15 billion litres.
Water storages are now 49.3% (893 billion litres) full, compared with 36.9% (669 billion litres) at the same time last year - a difference of 224 billion litres.
The rain helped keep residential water use under the target of 155 litres per person a day.
Melburnians used a daily average of 141 litres each - 14 litres below Target 155.
The Victorian Government this week announced that Stage 2 water restrictions, currently in place with Target 155, will remain in effect until at least the end of March 2011.
More information on restrictions and tips on how to reach the target are available from Target 155 [website no longer available, visit Office of Water for this information] or by contacting the government water retailers.
Stage 2 restrictions and Target 155 are currently in place.
Media Contact: Nicolas McGay +613 9235 2278 +61 (0)438 981 836