A proposal to capture and reuse stormwater from the lower reaches of the Yarra River was investigated by the Government and metropolitan water authorities in 2007.

The proposal looked at collecting, storing and treating stormwater at Dights Falls after heavy rainfall and transferring it to Yan Yean or Sugarloaf Reservoir, for release into Melbourne's drinking water system.

The investigation concluded that there would be major environmental and social issues in establishing large scale stormwater projects. The Government  has decided that the limited amount of water that could be obtained from these schemes does not warrant their further development.

Stormwater Recycling Feasibility Study

Feasibility Study (PDF~484kB)Appendix A1: Option Details (PDF~1.9MB)Appendix A2: Templestowe to Little Watsons Creek (PDF~2.0MB)Appendix A3: Patterson River to Cardinia (PDF~1.4MB)