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Environmental Water Reserve
In November 2005, the Victorian Government passed a law which, for the first time, gave legal protection to the environment’s share of water flow in river systems.
“The Environmental Water Reserve” is the term now used to describe the amount of environmental flow that each of Victoria’s rivers must receive by law. This amount differs from river to river.
For priority rivers, the water will be recovered for the EWR through a range of measures including:
- investing in distribution system savings
- investing in water reuse and recycling
- changing system management
- enabling water donations to be made
- investment in reconfiguring irrigation systems
- water purchase through the water market
- co-investing with farmers through Stream Flow Management Plans.