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Goulburn-Murray Water (G-MW)

Allocations remained at 0% for high-reliability water shares on all northern systems throughout August.

Close to average rainfall during July and August saw improvements in inflows to storages, however, they were not significant enough to make an allocation with the latest announcement on 17 August. G-MW will make the next allocation announcement on 1 September.

The Minister for Water has temporarily qualified rights to water in the Murray, Goulburn, Broken, Campaspe, Loddon and Bullarook systems this season to make sufficient water available for essential urban and farming needs.

Normal allocation rules will resume on the Goulburn and Murray systems when allocations reach 10%. The qualification on the Broken, Loddon, Bullarook, and Campaspe systems will remain in place until a 50% allocation is reached.

The latest outlook for the 2009/10 season was released by G-MW on 17 August. The outlooks are based on observed inflows in seasons following dry autumn and winter inflows. This approach provides an adjustment for reduced runoff caused by dry catchments.

Murray System

Goulburn System (Allocations include pumping from Waranga Basin)

Broken System

Campaspe

Loddon

Coliban Water

Coliban Water will announce the opening allocation on the Coliban Rural System on 15 September. It will also announce the availability of recycled water supplies in the Coliban Rural System on this date.

The Minister for Water has qualified rights to water in the Coliban Rural System to allow Coliban Water to provide emergency water supplies to eligible customers if there is not enough water for an allocation

Wimmera Mallee Domestic and Stock Supply System

Towns and farms in supply systems 1, 2 and 5 are receiving full supply from the pipeline.

Trunk installation in supply systems 3 and 4 (Birchip and Wycheproof lines) is now complete between Taylors Lake and Lubeck. In supply system 4 (SS4) all towns on the trunk main are connected. Approximately 60% of customers in SS4 are receiving an emergency supply. In supply system 3, 90% of customers are connected. Last year’s winter channel run supplied towns and some large supply-by-agreement customers adjacent to the major channels (including Charlton feedlot, QAF Meats) in this area. Other needs were met by carting.  Works in supply systems 3 and 4 are currently suspended due to wet conditions. As a result, these stages are now due to be completed in February 2010.

Over 200 kilometres (out of 850 km) of pipeline have been installed in supply system 6 to date and the construction of the Brimpaen storage is well advanced. Prior to the rains, GWMWater carted water to farms with dams that had emptied or become unusable due to poor water quality.

The remaining pipelining of the Wimmera-Mallee system is estimated for completion by March 2010.

Irrigation allocations are at 0%.

Southern Rural Water

Macalister Irrigation District (MID)

At the end of August, Lake Glenmaggie, the principal source of water for the MID, was at 60.6% of capacity – a 25.8% increase on last month.

At the beginning of August, MID allocations were at 40% for high reliability shares. SRW increased the allocation to 45% on 11 August, and to 55% on 25 August.

Latrobe System

At the end of August, storage levels in Blue Rock Lake were at 71.6% of capacity.

The irrigation share of Blue Rock was 450 ML. SRW licence holders downstream on the Latrobe and Tanjil Rivers can pump up to their licence volume, but this is subject to the availability of unregulated river flows (which normally contribute approximately 70% of entitlements).

Werribee Basin

SRW’s share of the Werribee storages was at 2% of capacity at the end of August.

Allocations remained at 2% for high reliability shares for the Werribee and Bacchus Marsh irrigation districts for the month. This allocation has been guaranteed until 30 November only. Irrigators in the Werribee area continued to rely on the recycling scheme as their principal water source while the river flows are very low. The recycling scheme is providing about 65 ML/day, and approximately 90% of Werribee growers are participating.

The Western Irrigation Contingency Plan for the 2009/10 season is currently in preparation.

Maribyrnong Basin

The storage volume in Rosslynne Reservoir remained very low, at 4% of capacity at the end of August.

With inflows well below average, SRW diverters have another season commencing with a 0% allocation.