Our water storages near full

WATER storage levels are nearly full across the region, but Barwon Water has warned locals will soon no longer be able to rely on rainfall alone to secure supplies.

Barwon Water manager director Tracey Slatter said water storage levels were in the best shape for this time of year in more than a decade, with the likelihood of restrictions in the Geelong, Golden Plains, Bellarine and Surf Coast supply system rated as “very rare”.

She said Barwon Water modelling revealed that by 2027 the authority may no longer be able to reliably meet the needs of Geelong, Golden Plains, Bellarine and Surf Coast without drawing on alternative supply methods.

“West Barwon Reservoir, home to the region’s main catchment located in the Otways, spilt for the first time in seven years, while Lal Lal Reservoir, in the Moorabool catchment also started spilling for a second year in a row, in August this year,” Ms Slatter said.

Ms Slatter said even though storages were in good shape coming into summer, it was important everyone followed the state’s permanent watersaving rules, which help ensure Victorians used water more efficiently.

“We know that while storages are at high levels now, the situation can change quickly,” she said. “During the millennium drought, and even more recently during the 2015-2016 El Nino and the hot dry start to 2019, we saw water storages can draw down rapidly.

“While it has mostly been a wet 12 months for our region, historically we have seen a 32 per cent drop in average in inflows at West Barwon Reservoir since 1997.”

Ms Slatter said the longterm trend of hotter and drier conditions highlighted the importance of investments made during the millennium drought, including the Melbourne-Geelong pipeline and Anglesea borefield.