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20 January 2011

Wetter Than Average Across the Board in 2010

All areas across greater Melbourne received above-average rainfall in 2010, data from Melbourne Water’s network of suburban rain gauges has shown.

The gauges showed that rainfall across the board was far greater than 2009 totals, with some areas receiving more than twice their 10-year average.

Melbourne Water collects suburban rainfall data to assist with its role as flooding and drainage manager for the metro area and beyond.

Kinglake (1457mm) in Melbourne’s north-east received the highest rainfall, just ahead of Mt Macedon (1440mm) in the west and Officer (1280mm) in the south-east.

The lowest totals were recorded in the western suburbs - Hoppers Crossing (614mm), Altona (636mm) and Bulla (637mm) – but still well above 2009 levels and the 10-year average.

The major catchment areas that feed water into the city’s dams remained some of the wettest areas in Melbourne, receiving an average total of 1,218mm. As a result, Melbourne’s water storages banked almost 300 billion litres in 2010, rising from 37.5% to 53.7%.

Manager of Water Supply, John Woodland, said 2010 was a year of recovery for Melbourne’s dams, and much more forgiving on home gardens and water tanks than previous years.

“One of the highlights of 2010 was the high frequency of rain events, which meant there were more occasions for gardeners to let nature do the watering and water tanks to replenish,” Mr Woodland said.

“The boost in dam levels was set up by good rainfall earlier in the year, which meant the catchments were wet enough to convert most of the heavy winter and spring rain into runoff in to the storages.

“Storages have continued to recover in the 18 months since Melbourne’s dams hit an all-time low of around 25% in June 2009. Melburnians have played a big part in the recovery by continuing to less water in 2010,” he added.

Melbourne homes, businesses and industry used a total of 364 billion litres of water in 2010 - the lowest consumption since 1983.

Media Contact: Nicolas McGay (03) 9235 2278; 0438 981 836

Rainfall figures: Inner eastern suburbs

Suburb 2010 Long-term average 2009
Burwood East 943mm 701mm 670mm
Kew 810mm 588mm 552mm
Ashwood 917mm 648mm 644mm
Burnley 799mm 529mm 491mm
Blackburn 953mm 621mm 651mm

Rainfall figures: Inner western suburbs

Suburb 2010 Long-term average 2009
Altona 636mm 397mm 341mm
Brooklyn 701mm 500mm 383mm
Footscray 720mm 493mm 386mm
Sunshine 770mm 441mm 378mm
Maribyrnong 660mm 481mm 427mm
Spotswood 751mm 430mm 407mm
Deer Park 758mm 452mm 383mm
Keilor 660mm 440mm 362mm
St Albans 744mm 436mm N/A
Flemington 646mm 487mm 410mm

Rainfall figures: Inner northern suburbs

Suburb 2010 Long-term average 2009
Coburg 763mm 552mm 481mm
Fairfield 777mm 546mm 521mm
Fawkner 737mm 523mm 420mm

Rainfall figures: North-eastern suburbs

Suburb 2010 Long-term average 2009
Doncaster 877mm 651mm 678mm
Heidelberg 836mm 578mm 534mm
Lower Plenty 835mm 594mm 580mm
Mernda 827mm 548mm 421mm
Kinglake 1457mm 982mm N/A
Greensborough 903mm 532mm 532mm
Ivanhoe 759mm 510mm 504mm

Rainfall figures: Outer eastern suburbs

Suburb 2010 Long-term average 2009
Beenak 1252mm 1117mm 890mm
Knox 895mm 702mm 703mm
Lilydale 1047mm 674mm 736mm
Maroondah Reservoir 1230mm 1123mm 1008mm
Mount Evelyn 1044mm 844mm 787mm
Mount Dandenong 1222mm 1113mm 1008mm
Mooroolbark 975mm 723mm 711mm
Montrose 1076mm 775mm 767mm
Monbulk 1195mm 1039mm 915mm
Ringwood 1071mm 716mm 692mm

Rainfall figures: Outer northern suburbs

Suburb 2010 Long-term average 2009
Bundoora 773mm 575mm 497mm
Craigieburn 754mm 544mm 431mm
Darraweit Guim 900mm 487mm 407mm
Konagaderra 704mm 485mm 380mm
Epping 754mm 520mm 460mm
Fawkner 737mm 523mm 420mm
Jacana 640mm 365mm 403mm
Somerton 800mm 503mm 427mm
Wallan 970mm 573mm 475mm

Rainfall figures: Outer western suburbs

Suburb 2010 Long-term average 2009
Hoppers Crossing 614mm 390mm 306mm
Rockbank 751mm 383mm 402mm
Diggers Rest 747mm 482mm 429mm
Bulla 637mm 403mm 396mm
Sunbury 780mm 450mm 447mm
Romsey 916mm 520mm 460mm
Mt Macedon 1440mm 862mm N/A

Rainfall figures: South-eastern suburbs

Suburb 2010 Long-term average 2009
Berwick 1096mm 884mm 809mm
Caulfield North 839mm 663mm 489mm
Clayton 974mm 640mm 596mm
Cranbourne 1072mm 740mm 649mm
Elsternwick 715mm 517mm 425mm
Frankston North 753mm 564mm 581mm
Hampton Park 829mm 619mm 640mm
Mentone 836mm 596mm 518mm
Oakleigh South 872mm 670mm 578mm
Officer 1280mm 1247mm 902mm
Rowville 968mm 694mm 657mm
Sandringham 860mm 618mm 510mm
Springvale West 904mm 790mm 600mm