Favourable water outlook not dampened by dry spring
Below average rainfall during spring has resulted in low inflows to Coliban Water’s reservoirs on the Coliban River near Kyneton.
General Manager Water and Climate Strategy, Adam Crameri, said flows into the main reservoirs of Lauriston, Upper Coliban and Malmsbury were less than previous years when more rain fell.
“We only received 4.7 gigalitres of inflow to our reservoirs on the Coliban River during spring, where we would typically expect around 14 gigalitres,” he said.
“But despite the dry conditions, our water resource position is good due to wet conditions in more recent years.”
The reservoirs on the Coliban River are holding over 70% of their combined capacity, or 49.2 gigalitres, and Coliban Water’s share of Lake Eppalock is at 93%, or 50.9 gigalitres.
To help preserve water in the reservoirs, Coliban Water has been pumping water from Lake Eppalock to supply Bendigo.
“This is one of the options available to us to secure our future supplies,” Mr Crameri said.
“We started pumping from Lake Eppalock to supply Bendigo at the start of December to preserve water in the Coliban River reservoirs for Kyneton, Castlemaine, and surrounding towns.”
In addition, Coliban Water has received its full allocation of supply from the Murray, Goulburn, Campaspe, and Loddon River systems.
“We recently published our Annual Water Outlook which summarises our water resource position and provides an outlook for the year ahead,” Mr Crameri said.
“It also reports on our progress against the water security initiatives outlined in our Urban Water Strategy 2022.”
Mr Crameri said even with water storages at good levels, it is important we use water efficiently.
“While our water resource position is good, and the outlook is favourable, we need to ensure that we are using water wisely,” he said.
“People should follow our Permanent Water Saving Rules, which help households use water efficiently and save money.
The Permanent Water Saving Rules are a set of common-sense rules for water use and are always in place. They include:
- Water from a hand-held nozzle with a trigger nozzle at any time.
- Use watering systems on residential or commercial gardens and lawns between 6pm and 10am.
- Use watering systems on public gardens, lawns and playing surfaces between 6pm and 10am.
- Only use water features such as fountains where the water is recirculated.
- Only clean hard surfaces using a high-pressure cleaning device, handheld hose or bucket.
“We also have a range of resources on our website to help our customers save water and money, including our popular Smart Gardens for a Dry Climate booklet,” Mr Crameri said.
“Our Drip Saving Tips page is a great resource that encourages customers to contribute their favourite ways to save water.”
To learn more about our reservoirs, click here. You can learn more about your town's water supply here and handy tips to conserve water here.
Last updated on 23 Dec 2024