How climate change impacts Victoria's water

Temperature rising

Increased need for water. This puts more pressure on water resources.
Increased impacts to water quality. Drier soils and more vegetation dieback will increase water turbidity. This reduces water clarity.
Increased value of water bodies to the community. Water bodies are particularly valued for warmer weather activities like swimming and fishing.
Increased need for watering of recreation areas, such as sports ovals, parks and gardens.
Increased need for irrigation of agricultural crops for food and fodder.
Decreased snow, meaning less snowmelt will flow into our water storages in spring.
Increased changes to wastewater quality and impacts to wastewater infrastructure. For example, corrosion and odour.
Increased impacts on asset function. For example, equipment may overheat more often.
Increased drying soils. This can cause cracks in underground structures such as pipes.

Increased risks to health and safety of the community. This may also limit working hours of field crews,impacting services to the community.
Increased power outages. This may affect water supply and wastewater services.
Increased water demand which could exceed the capacity of the water grid.
Increased incidence of harmful algal bloom.

Decreased stream flow and water quality in natural waterways.
Decreased amount and quality of water available. This makes it more difficult to balance water supply for human and environmental uses.

Decreased amount and quality of water available.
Decreased opportunities to use water for recreation. For example, on water (fishing, swimming) and on land (poor sports ground surfaces, private gardens).
Increased damage to water, wastewater, drainage and flood management infrastructure. This is due to dry soil which shifts and cracks, or tree roots seeking water sources.

Decreased water quality from urban and agricultural runoff and when wastewater systems spill. This impacts recreational, cultural, spiritual and environmental uses.
Decreased performance of drainage systems. This may make it more expensive to keep the system running as usual.
Decreased runoff quality, especially from rainfall events after long dry periods.
Increased potential for flash flooding.
Increased storm damage to public and private infrastructure and assets.

Increased flooding on the coast. This will affect buildings, as well as environmental, cultural, spiritual and recreational sites.
Increased seawater intrusion into groundwater systems.
Increased impacts to wastewater recycling and assets.
Decreased ability of drainage networks near low-lying coastal areas. This is because they may be partly filled by seawater.

Increased impact on water catchments. Impacts to long-term amount and quality of water in storages.
Increased water contamination from ash and debris from bushfires. Water storages may be offline more often due to this. This reduces water availability.
Increased damage water sector assets. Also damage to recreational, cultural, spiritual and environmental sites.

Increased flash floods will impact urban areas and industry. Future changes to flooding are not yet clear in other areas. This includes larger rural catchments or places where snow melt usually causes floods.
Increased disruption to communities. Floods can cause injury, loss of life, property damage, and personal hardship. Floods also cause disruptions to regional economies.
Increased damage to water sector assets, water-related recreational, cultural, spiritual and environmental assets.
Increased disruption of essential water and wastewater services. This may lead a spread of diseases carried by water.

Page last updated: 08/09/23