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What is Victoria's water grid?

The water grid works much like our road network. It connects an extensive network of water sources such as dams, reservoirs, irrigation districts and the desalination plant to water users.

This includes homes, schools, businesses and even other waterways. It does this through infrastructure (sometimes above or below ground) including pipes, channels, pumps and natural waterways like rivers and creeks.

The grid includes the following assets:

Water sources

  • Reservoirs that are created by constructing a dam wall across a river valley. This creates a man-made lake where water can be stored for future use. Water is often released from a reservoir at set times throughout the year for environmental reasons or when capacity nears 100% (known as a ‘spill’).
  • Wells or bores used to extract groundwater from underground aquifers.
  • The Victorian Desalination Plant. This facility takes salty seawater and produces drinking water that is transferred to reservoirs through pipes.

Water transfer and treatment

  • Pipelines, open channels and canals used to transport water from waterways and reservoirs to where it is needed. This sometimes includes other reservoirs or smaller tanks. This movement may be fed by gravity or may require pumping. This depends on a water source’s elevation.
  • Water treatment plants for processing water to meet water quality standards before use. Different sources of water require different types of treatment to make sure it is always clean and safe.

Water authorities must plan ahead to determine what infrastructure projects are required to meet future water needs as our state keeps growing. Building new dams does not create new water, it takes water from somewhere else.

Due to the reduction in rainfall as a result of climate change, we will need more climate-resilient sources like recycled water or desalination, together with greater use of stormwater and rainwater when available, to meet our future water needs.

Community involvement is encouraged to use water more sustainably and conserve our precious resources.

Case study

The Victorian Water grid is a complex interconnected network managing the flow of water throughout the state. It covers the entire state and everywhere you get water. Watch this animation to understand it further.

Watch the video

Enhancing Victoria's Water Grid (1 min)

View transcript

Meet the expert

Josh Quinn is a Senior Policy Officer with the Grid team at the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA). In this video he discusses how he wound up working on the Victorian water grid and how it is responsible for all the water you use.

Source: DEECA

Photo essay

Further resources

Below you can find a variety of resources to further research and understand the Victorian water grid.

Annual Water Outlook – how Victoria’s water corporations will respond to water shortages.

Find Your Water Corporation – search for your home and school and discover how it is connected.

National Water Grid – projects are happening across Australia.

Victoria’s water grid – what work we're doing to improve the grid.

Water in the Latrobe Valley – a complex system of inter-connected water sources and uses.

South Rural Water have worked to bring their systems up to date. Find out more:

Flume structure in the Macalister Irrigation District – works like these by Southern Rural Water keep the grid up-to-date.

How our water supply system works – Julian O'Shea and Melbourne Water explain.

Managing water supply and community safety – see how Southern Rural Water's storages capture and supply water to food and fibre producers.

Sugarloaf Reservoir – take a video tour of this storage with Melbourne Water.

Transferring water between our water storage reservoirs – Melbourne Water show how water is moved through the grid.

Water treatment in Victoria – Gippsland Water explain how water starts as rain and eventually comes out of your taps.

Where Does the Water Go – for younger viewers, South East Water explain how the grid is important for sewerage.

Water Cycle Game – play along with South East Water's game for year 7 students.

Victorian dam locations and uses – discover dams across Victoria and what they're used for. Is there one near you?

Victorian rural water system – click and learn about Victoria's nine rural water systems.

Victorian Water Accounts – explore years of annual water data across Victoria.

A World of Water map quest – this learning resource from Melbourne Water lets you explore Melbourne's catchments in class or at home.

Melbourne Water Cycle – find out how South East Water gets water to your home and other uses.

Page last updated: 16/09/25