Melbourne Water is owned by the Victorian Government. The Minister for Water, in consultation with the Treasurer, appoints our Board of Directors. We’re responsible for providing essential services for the Greater Melbourne region.
We manage and protect :
- 10 major water storage reservoirs
- 40 service reservoirs, tanks and basins
- 13 water treatment plants
- 163,000 hectares of protected and open catchments
- 25,000 kilometres of waterways and 33,000 hectares of surrounding open space.
Along with your local water company, we also manage Greater Melbourne’s sewerage network of over 4,000km of pipes and pumps. As well as water retailers, like your water company, we also work with local councils, and the land development industry.
Flooding is a natural part of the weather cycle, but it can have a big impact. So we work with organisations and the community to manage flood risks and minimise impacts to Melbourne. Together with local councils, we manage a complex drainage system across the entire city to safely move stormwater away from built-up areas into rivers and creeks, and eventually into the bay.
We also work with local councils to update flood information across Greater Melbourne to better understand the risk of current and future flooding and to inform planning and development.
Melbourne Water has been around since 1992, when the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works merged with other water authorities. Back in 1992, Melbourne’s population was just 3.2 million people, but by 2030, nearly 6 million Melburnians will need access to essential services. That’s a lot more people needing water, drainage and sewerage management.