The Monthly Water Report provides a statewide monthly summary of the status of water resources and water supplies. Each month's report is published online towards the end of the following month. It is based on data provided by Victoria's 19 urban and rural water corporations.

Rainfall

Extremely dry weather conditions continued throughout Victoria during October. Total rainfall was very much below the October long-term average across most of the state. Eleven rainfall recording sites experienced their lowest October rainfall on record.

Streamflows

At the end of the month, streamflows across Victoria had worsened since September.  

Of the 28 representative gauging stations, the highest flows recorded were only between 10-19% of the long-term average, and occurred at only seven gauging stations. The remaining 21 stations recorded flows less than 10% of the long-term average.

At 11 stations, streamflows were equal to or lower than the lowest flow on record for October.

Storage Volumes

A continuation of below-average rainfall means that storages have not recovered across the state. At the end of October, the total volume in the state’s major storageswas 21.3% of capacity. This is a decrease of 0.8% over the month.

Melbourne's storages decreased by 0.7% during the month to finish at 33.8% of capacity. Melbourne’s storages are 6% lower than at the same time last year. 

Restrictions on Urban Water Supplies

There were no changes made to towns on restriction during October.

The total number of Victorian towns on restriction as at 31 October 2008 was 327, of which 59 towns were on Stage 1, 35 were on Stage 2, 41 were on Stage 3, 18 on Stage 3a, 77 on Stage 4 with general exemptions, and 97 on Stage 4. Approximately 150 towns were not on water restrictions and were subject to Permanent Water Saving Rules.

Irrigation Allocations

On 15 October G-MW announced allocations on the Murray and Goulburn systems of 17% and 12% respectively, but allocations remained at 0% on all other northern systems.

The allocation on the Coliban Rural System is zero per cent.

Recycled water is available to customers on the Ascot, Axe Creek and Cockatoo Hill channel systems up to 40% of licenced volume. Elsewhere in the rural system, a qualification of rights is in place to provide significant commercial operators with emergency supplies up to 30% of licenced volume.

The irrigation allocation remained at zero in the Wimmera-Mallee supply system.

In southern Victoria, the seasonal allocation for the Werribee and Bacchus Marsh irrigation districts of 4% of high reliability water share was extended until 28 February 2008.

The allocation for the Macalister Irrigation District remained at 90% during October. The regulated irrigation allocation from Blue Rock Lake was 6.7%.   

Restrictions on Unregulated Streams

At the end of October, diversions from a total of 129 unregulated streams and lakes across the state were subject to some form of restriction.  This is slightly greater than this time last year when 125 streams were on restriction.

Seasonal Climate Outlook

The rainfall outlook for the period November to January was released by the Bureau of Meteorology on 28 October 2008.  The outlook indicates that the chances of exceeding the median rainfall across Victoria are between 45 and 55%, meaning the chances of being wetter than normal are about the same as the chances of being drier.

The ENSO Wrap-Up (issued on 29 October 2008) indicates that neutral conditions continue to prevail in the Pacific basin  Given current conditions, trends over the past few months and climate model forecasts, neutral conditions are likely to remain until the end of the year and throughout the southern summer. There is now little potential for El Niño or La Niña conditions to develop. The Indian Ocean Dipole is now neutral and is expected to remain neutral for the coming few months.