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Safe, reliable and affordable water is essential to Victoria’s future. Communities and industries rely on it for health and jobs. From experience during the Millennium Drought, we know that water shortages have significant cultural, social, environmental and economic impacts.

Drought can affect rural and metropolitan areas in different ways. An in-depth description of the drought cycle is available at the Victorian Drought Hub.

We sustain research into climactic conditions across Victoria to make informed decisions and provide guidance for water resource management. Additionally, the Victorian Government has support available for individuals and businesses affected by drought and dry conditions.

Track water availability in Victoria

The following resources will provide you with an understanding of water availability and dry conditions in Victoria.

  • Current water snapshot – Weekly updates on:
    • storage levels
    • urban water restrictions
    • seasonal determinations and allocations
    • stream restrictions
    • groundwater status
    • rainfall and seasonal climate outlooks.
  • Annual water outlook – This annual report outlines actions water corporations will put in place to cope with any water shortages if they arise.
  • Water in your region – An interactive map showing important water resource information. As well as finding locations of storages and water facilities, users can search for any residential or business address in the state and find relevant information about their water needs.
  • Victorian Water Accounts – Historical water data since 2003–04.

Emergency water access

Victoria has a network of over 300 emergency water supply points (EWSP) that can provide water carting for:

  • stock and domestic purposes during severe dry seasonal conditions
  • surface water scarcity
  • bushfires-affected areas.

Find our nearest EWSP and local councils or water corporations contact.

Water carting subsidies are available as part of the government’s recently announced drought relief package.

Government drought support

The Victorian Government has committed $144 million in drought relief for farmers, including:

Water initiatives ($25 million):

  • $15 million towards the Mininera Rural Pipeline project to support water supply from the East. Grampians Pipeline to landholders in the southern Grampians region.
  • $3 million to review and undertake capital works on Victoria’s Emergency Supply Point Network.
  • $2.5 million to leverage private groundwater bores for additional domestic and stock access.
  • $3.5 million for a Western Region Sustainable Water Strategy.
  • $1 million to deliver a Catchment Management Authority-led Drought Employment Program in south west Victoria.

Visit these resources for more information and how to access support:

Water corporations managing drought and dry conditions

Accessing water on your rural property

Your local water corporation can also assist if your private water source (such as a domestic and stock dam or groundwater bore) dries up during an extended period of low rainfall. They can provide guidance on:

  • a lowered groundwater table in your area or the condition of infrastructure may result in dried bores. Your bore may need to be deepened, or a new bore may need to be drilled
  • the availability of alternative water sources locally, including their location, quantity, and any necessary approvals
  • options for buying water on the water market and how to go about purchasing it
  • the possibility of sharing water from private bores or dams with neighbours
  • whether you can trade water under a groundwater licence
  • accessing existing infrastructure to obtain water.

Water saving rules

The Victorian Government implements permanent water saving rules to help manage our water efficiently. Additionally, Victorian water corporations all offer tips and tricks for saving water amid their own water saving rules.

Regional drought resilience planning

Nine of Victoria’s urban water corporations are participating in Regional Drought Resilience Planning. These plans are available at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry website.

The Sustainable Irrigation Program

The Sustainable Irrigation Program has several actions to improve on-farm water use. The program helps improve irrigation water use efficiency. This is important for:

  • property planning (including grants for the preparation or update of whole farm plans) and other decision support programs
  • providing specialist independent advice to irrigators
  • providing grants to help with the adoption of improved farm irrigation infrastructure.

If you want more information about incentive programs, contact your local catchment management authority (CMAs) or Agriculture Victoria:

The tools of drought planning

Lessons from the Millennium Drought

The dry conditions experienced between 1996 and 2010 are often described as the Millennium Drought. These conditions brought about changes to water management in Victoria, which put Victoria in a good position for future drought planning.

The Managing Extreme Water Shortage in Victoria: Lessons from the Millennium Drought report, released in 2016, covers those lessons learned and key actions Victoria took in response to the drought, including:

  • How water managers strengthened our water planning framework and entitlements.
  • Better ways to manage future dry conditions.
  • Steps taken to ensure fair, efficient and appropriate use of water.
  • How to address low water availability.

These improvements put Victoria in a good position for future drought planning.

The role of drought research

The Victorian Water and Climate Initiative research program helps us better understand our climate and water resources. Some of the areas of research include:

  • Victoria’s catchment response to the Millennium Drought
  • planning for future drought risk.

Guidelines for water corporations

The Guidelines for Assessing the Impact of Climate Change on Water Availability in Victoria gives a consistent approach for applying climate change scenarios to water resource planning. Water corporations can use the guidelines to help with:

  • drought preparedness
  • operational planning.

Page last updated: 05/07/25