More water in Melbourne dams but still 65 percent below average
March 1, 2010 Melbourne has got through summer with 83 billion litres more water in its dams than for the same time last year thanks to welcome rain, household water savings and flows from two major water projects. Figures released on Monday – the first day of autumn – by Melbourne Water show that the catchments received 231mm of rain, the most summer rain in five years but still 34 per cent below average. Water Minister Tim Holding said after 13 years of drought a wetter-than-average summer was a welcome relief. But he said with inflows still well below historical averages it was clear Melbourne could not rely solely on dams and needed a diverse range of water supply options for the future. “Melbourne’s storages have risen 180 billion litres since June last year, when they fell to a record low of 25.6 per cent, but they are still just above one-third full,” Mr Holding said. … Melbourne’s water storages are currently 34.9 per cent compared to 30.9 per cent at the same time last year.
