The Monthly Water Report provides a summary of the status of Victoria's water resources and water supplies at the end of the reporting month. It is based on validated water resource information provided by Victoria's 19 Urban and Rural Water Corporations and the Bureau of Meteorology. Each month's report is published online the following month. For detailed, specific and up-to-date information, please contact the relevant Water Corporation or the Bureau of Meteorology. Links to these organisations are located within the Monthly Water Report.

Rainfall

During April, most of Victoria received limited to average rainfall.  However, above average rainfall was recorded in the highest parts of the Victorian Alps and isolated parts of East Gippsland.  The highest fall was recorded at Combienbar in Far East Gippsland.

Streamflow

Due to the generally limited to average rainfall across Victoria, together with higher than average temperatures, there was a further reduction in streamflow compared to the previous month.  Only one of the 28 representative gauging stations recorded end-of-month flows above the long-term April average, while 11 recorded flows less than 10% of the April average.

Storages

The total volume of water in major storages decreased this month. At the end of April, Victoria’s major storages were at 68%.

The volume of water in major regional storages decreased to 67.3% and Melbourne’s storages decreased to 71.8%.

Restrictions on Urban Water Supplies

There were no changes to urban restrictions during April, with the total remaining at 7 towns subject to water restrictions.  This is much less than at the same time last year, when 26 towns were subject to restrictions.

Irrigation Allocations

During April the LRWS allocation for the Macalister Irrigation District was increased from 5% to 20%.  There were no other changes to allocations during April.

Restrictions on Unregulated Streams

At the end of April, 122 unregulated streams were subject to restrictions on diversions, a decrease on last month’s total of 137. Goulburn-Murray Water lifted 17 bans, while Melbourne Water added 4 and removed one.

This time last year, there were 22 waterways subject to restrictions.

Seasonal Climate Outlook

The Bureau of Meteorology’s latest ENSO Wrap-Up released on 23 April reports that all indicators of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions remain neutral and current neutral conditions will continue through the winter.

The Bureau of Meteorology’s latest three-month rainfall outlook, for the period May to July 2013, indicates that a drier than normal season is likely for southern Victoria, and in the north of the state the chances of a wetter or drier season remain roughly equal.