On this page:
The status of the state’s water resources across various categories, including storage levels, rainfall and seasonal outlooks.
Water storage levels
Metro Melbourne water storage levels
Northern Victoria water storage levels
* Victoria has a 50% share of inflows to Dartmouth and in Hume
Southern Victoria water storage levels
* Werribee Basin storage value is the combined volume of the Melton, Merrimu and Pykes reservoirs
Monthly storage levels
As of the end of October 2024:
- Regional storages were 79.7% full.
- 2.1% lower than the previous month (81.8%).
- Melbourne storages were 90.0% full.
- 0.1% higher than the previous month (89.9%).
- Total Victorian storages were 81.2% full.
- 1.8% lower than the previous month (83.0%).
Download the monthly dataset
Updated 21 November 2024. The next update is in mid-December 2024.
Regional, Melbourne and all Victoria monthly storage levels
Bureau of Meteorology rainfall maps
On the Bureau of Meteorology websites, view
Month to date rainfall for December 2024 in Victoria
Seasonal climate outlook
Bureau of Meteorology climate outlook
- There is a moderate chance (45-65%) that January to March 2025 rainfall will exceed the median across all of Victoria, with the highest chance towards the north-west.
- Minimum daily temperatures in January to March 2025 are very likely to exceed the median (>80% chance) for all of Victoria.
- Maximum daily temperatures in January to March 2025 are very likely to exceed the median (>80% chance) across most of Victoria with slightly lower chance (75-80%) in parts of central Victoria and Gippsland.
- Updated on 5 December 2024. The next update is expected on 12 December 2024.
Climate driver update
Bureau of Meteorology climate driver update
- The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) remains neutral. The Bureau's model suggests SSTs are likely to remain within the ENSO-neutral thresholds throughout to February 2025.
- The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) index has been below the negative IOD threshold (−0.40 °C) since mid-October. However, all but one of the surveyed climate models indicate that the IOD index is expected to return to neutral levels in December.
- The Southern Annular Mode (SAM) index is neutral as at 23 November, having been positive for most of November. SAM is also forecast to have a greater than usual chance of being in the positive phase during December.
- A moderate to strong pulse of the Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO) is currently located in the Indian Ocean (as at 24 November). Most models indicate the MJO will shift eastwards over the coming fortnight and weaken in early December as it moves across the Maritime Continent.
- Updated on 26 November 2024. The next update is expected on 10 December 2024.
Current urban restrictions
As at 5 December 2024, there were no towns on restrictions, with permanent water saving rules in place across Victoria. The last time urban restrictions were in place was in June 2020, when 20 towns were on stage 1 restrictions.
Urban water corporations publish water restrictions on their websites.
Find your urban water corporation.
Monthly urban restrictions - 2010 to 2024
The graph and data below are updated at the end of each month.
Updated 5 December 2024. The next update is in early January 2024.
Graph of total number of towns on urban restrictions from January 2010 to November 2024
Stream restrictions
End-of-month stream restrictions - 2010 to 2024
As at the end of November 2024, there were 70 stream sections with restrictions or bans on licensed diversions across Victoria - 48 more than at the end of October 2024. These are shown in red and purple in the map below.
Map of unregulated streams restricted as at 18 November 2024*
* This map is for indicative purposes only and licence holders should refer to their respective water corporation regarding unregulated stream restrictions. This map does not display all unregulated stream restrictions.
The graph and data below are as at the end of each month.
Updated 28 November 2024. The next update is late December 2024.
Graph of total number of unregulated stream sections restricted from January 2010 to November 2024
Groundwater summary
Quarterly groundwater level trend update
1 April to 30 June 2024 quarter.
Groundwater level trends in groundwater management units (GMUs) are reported quarterly. Groundwater level trends for GMUs have been determined based on 5 years (short-term) or 10 years (long-term) of consistent monitoring data from key bores in the State Observation Bore Network (SOBN).
There are 2 categories of GMUs:
- Groundwater management areas (GMAs).
- Water supply protection areas (WSPAs).
Updated 29 August 2024. The next update is December 2024 (for the July to September 2024 quarter).
Notes
- Trends are calculated mathematically using data with variable timescales, and do not necessarily represent the status of the resource for management purposes.
- Insufficient data or monitoring bores were available to determine a short-term and long-term trend in 9 GMAs.
- Glenelg WSPA was abolished in August 2022.
Short and long term groundwater level trend maps
Groundwater restrictions
In 2024-25, 3 GMUs are subject to allocation restrictions:
- Barnadown (Lower Campaspe Valley WSPA) at 75%.
- Deutgam WSPA at 50%.
- Neuarpur subzone 1 (West Wimmera GMA) at 80%.
Updated 4 July 2024. The next update is July 2025.
Seasonal determinations and allocations
Seasonal determinations are made against water shares to provide allocations in declared systems. These can be for high reliability (HRWS) or low reliability (LRWS) water shares. In northern Victoria, Goulburn-Murray Water makes the seasonal determinations in the relevant systems, while Southern Rural Water makes the seasonal determinations in the Thomson/Macalister and Bacchus Marsh/Werribee systems.
In the Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water area, resource assessments are undertaken every month to determine the amount of water that can be made available to entitlement holders. These monthly assessments result in a formal announcement on water allocations.
Coliban Water assesses seasonal allocations for customers on its rural network based on available resources in the Coliban System.
Goulburn-Murray Water
System | Seasonal determinations HRWS | Seasonal determinations LRWS | Date updated |
---|---|---|---|
Goulburn | 100% | 0% | 16 Sept 24 |
Broken | 100% | 0% | 2 Dec 24 |
Murray | 100% | 0% | 15 Nov 24 |
Campaspe | 100% | 44% | 2 Dec 24 |
Loddon | 100% | 0% | 16 Sept 24 |
Bullarook | 0% | 0% | 1 Jul 24 |
Southern Rural Water
System | Seasonal determinations HRWS | Seasonal determinations LRWS | Date updated |
---|---|---|---|
Bacchus Marsh / Werribee | 100% | 20% | 3 Dec 24 |
Thomson / Macalister | 100% | 0% | 24 Sep 24 |
Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water
System | Seasonal determinations - Wimmera-Mallee Pipeline product | Date updated |
---|---|---|
Wimmera | 15% | 8 Nov 24 |
Coliban Water
System | Seasonal determinations | Date updated |
---|---|---|
Coliban Rural System | 100% | Opening announcement Jul 24 |
Page last updated: 06/12/24