By Jason Dowling
August 16, 2010 MELBOURNE’S water storages are having their best winter run-off since 1995, swelling above 38 per cent full and adding more than 220 billion litres to last year’s historically low levels. More good news is expected in coming weeks, with big inflows expected from the winter/spring filling season. But this exceptional year for Melbourne’s water-storage levels comes at an awkward time for the state government, with its $750 million water pipeline to northern Victoria completed and the $3.5 billion desalination plant expected to be ready by next year. Melbourne also remains on stage-3 water restrictions, limiting watering times for gardens. Melbourne Water’s manager of water supply, John Woodland, said good rainfalls in recent years had been quickly absorbed by dry soil. ”But with winter rain falling on already wet catchments, we’re seeing more rain make its way into the dams,” he said. ”We’re now at the start of what is traditionally our wettest period of the year, when storages make their biggest gains, so we expect the rally to continue.” … Melbourne’s storages reached an all-time low at 25.6 per cent on June 24, 2009, but have been boosted by about 220 billion litres (or six-months’ supply for Melbourne) since, and yesterday reached 38.3 per cent. Yesterday’s levels were the highest on that date for Melbourne’s storages since 2006 and the Bureau of Meteorology says there is more rain and snow forecast for this week. … ”Recent rainfall has also been encouraging, but our storages are still depleted after 13 years of drought.” …
Water levels on the up as dams reach 38%
