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 the State’s 20 urban and rural water corporations.

Rainfall

Rainfall totals for April were generally below average across the state. By the end of the month, most of Victoria had only received 20% to 40% of the long-term average rainfall for April. Large regions of the Western, Gippsland and Northeast districts received between 40% and 60%, and some isolated areas received between 60% and 100% of the long-term average rainfall for April. Sixteen rainfall recording sites across the state experienced their lowest April rainfall for at least 10 years, and another 3 sites experienced their lowest April rainfall on record.

Streamflows

As a result of low rainfall, the streamflow situation across the state worsened during April. At the end of the month, stream flows were below average across most of the state, except for the southwest coast and Alpine region. Flows below 10% of the long term average for April were recorded at 15 of the 28 representative stations in central, north western and far east Victoria

Storage Levels

Volumes in the state’s major storages declined to 18% during April, a decrease of 2.0% over the month. The decline of storage volumes is because releases for urban and irrigation use are still well above the storage inflows. The lowest storage volumes are in central and northern Victoria.

Melbourne's storages decreased by 1.7% during the month to finish at 31.5% of capacity, which is 1.5% higher than at the same time last year.

Urban Water Restrictions

The total number of Victorian towns on restriction as at 30 April 2008 was 371. Of these, 68 towns were on Stage 1, 56 were on Stage 2, 55 were on Stage 3, 18 were on Stage 3a, 77 on Stage 4 with general exemptions, and 97 on Stage 4. In northern Victoria, North East Water lifted Stage 2 restrictions for Myrtleford, and lifted Stage 1 restrictions for Whitfield from 14 April. In southern Victoria, Barwon Water introduced Stage 2 restrictions for towns in the Colac water supply district from 26 April.

Irrigation Allocations 

Irrigation allocations were still extremely low across northern, central and western Victoria at the end of March. In northern Victoria, G-MW increased allocations on the Broken system due to efficient system operations. Modest inflows to Lake Eildon and continued loss-savings allowed an increase in allocations on the Goulburn system. The seasonal allocation for Coliban Water’s rural system remained at 35%, whilst the irrigation allocation remained at zero in the Wimmera-Mallee supply system.

In southern Victoria, allocations in the Werribee and Bacchus Marsh Irrigation District remained at 8% and Southern Rural Water continued the ban on access to groundwater in the Deutgam Groundwater Management Area. Storage levels in the Latrobe Valley’s Blue Rock Lake are higher than at the same time last year and there is enough water for the power stations, however the regulated irrigation allocation from Blue Rock Lake stood at just 17.3%.

Allocations remained at 200% for all irrigators within the Macalister Irrigation District (MID), and for diverters on the Thomson River, Macalister River and Rainbow Creek. The outlook for the Macalister Irrigation District remains positive.

Restrictions on Diversions 

At the end of April, diversions from a total of 169 unregulated streams and lakes across the state were subject to some form of restriction. This is less than at the same time last year when 213 streams were on restriction.

Seasonal Climate Outlook

The latest rainfall outlook was released by the Bureau of Meteorology on 23 April 2008. The outlook for the period May to July indicates that the chance of exceeding the three-month median rainfall is 45% to 50% across most of Victoria.

The Bureau issued the latest ENSO Wrap-Up on 30 April. The La Niña event in the Pacific Basin has weakened to neutral conditions, and computer models are indicating that neutral conditions are expected to persist over the next two seasons (winter and spring).