Current water snapshot

The status of the state’s water resources across various categories, including storage levels, rainfall and seasonal outlooks.

Water storage levels

As at 30 September 2025, total combined storage levels for major Melbourne, regional and statewide storage networks were as follows:

• Melbourne: 73% full (17% lower than the previous year).
• Regional: 60% full (23% lower than the previous year).
• Statewide: 62% full (22% lower than the previous year).

• Melbourne Water storage levels

* Victoria has a 50% share of inflows to Dartmouth and in Hume

• Goulburn-Murray Water storage levels
• Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water storage levels

* Werribee Basin storage value is the combined volume of the Melton, Merrimu and Pykes reservoirs

• Barwon Water storage levels
• Central Highlands Water storage levels
• Coliban Water storage levels
• Gippsland Water storage levels
• South Gippsland Water storage levels
• Westernport Water storage levels

Download the monthly dataset

Updated 25 September 2024. The next update is in mid-October 2025.

Regional, Melbourne and all Victoria monthly storage levels

Bureau of Meteorology rainfall maps

On the Bureau of Meteorology websites, view

• map of rainfall received in the past 7 days
• map of total rainfall received month to date

• The Bureau of Meteorology’s outlook shows an above average chance (60-70%) of exceeding the median rainfall for October to December across most of Victoria, with a lower chance (55-65%) for some southern parts of the state.
• There is an increased chance of exceeding the median maximum temperatures (>80% chance) for a majority of Victoria in the October to December period, with slightly lower chances around Mildura (75%) and East Gippsland (60%-75%).
• Updated on 2 October 2025. The next update is expected on 9 October 2025.

• The El Niño–Southern Oscillation remains neutral (neither El Niño nor La Niña). The Bureau's model agrees with international models in predicting further cooling of the tropical Pacific, likely reaching La Niña levels during spring, and returning to neutral in summer.
• A negative phase of the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is underway, and this is expected to continue throughout spring with a return to neutral in early summer. A negative IOD typically results in above average spring rainfall over eastern Australia.
• The Southern Annular Mode remains negative and is likely to be neutral to negative over the next fortnight.
• Since July 2024, sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the Australian region have been the warmest or second warmest on record for each respective month. Similarly, global SSTs remain substantially above average, with August 2025 the third warmest on record. Forecasts for October to December indicate SSTs to the south-east of Australia will continue to be warmer than average.
• Updated on 2 October 2025. The next update is expected on 16 October 2025.

Current urban restrictions

Following sustained recent rainfall, Central Highlands Water removed Stage 2 water restrictions on 19 September for the Hepburn region. Currently, all systems are subject to Permanent Water Saving Rules.

Urban water corporations publish water restrictions on their websites.

Find your urban water corporation.

Monthly urban restrictions - 2010 to 2025

The graph and data below are updated at the end of each month.

Updated 2 October 2025. The next update is in early November 2025.

Graph of total number of towns on urban restrictions from January 2010 to September 2025

Stream restrictions

End-of-month stream restrictions - 2010 to 2025

As at 22 September 2025, there were 27 stream sections with restrictions or bans on licensed diversions across Victoria - 14 fewer than at the end of August 2025*. These are shown in red and purple in the map below.

Map of streams restricted as at 22 September 2025**

*  This count includes management sections subject to diversion restrictions (the term used for partial limitation on take) as well as complete bans on take.

** This map is for indicative purposes only and licence holders should refer to their respective water corporation regarding stream restrictions. This map does not display all stream restrictions.

The graph and data below are as at the end of each month.

Updated 25 September 2025. The next update is late October 2025.

Graph of total number of stream sections restricted from January 2010 to September 2025

Groundwater summary

Quarterly groundwater level trend update

1 April to 30 June 2025 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 14 August 2025. The next update is November 2025 (for the July to September 2025 quarter).

Short and long term groundwater level trend maps

Groundwater restrictions

In 2025-26, 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 17 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

Southern Rural Water

Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water

Coliban Water

Page last updated: 02/10/25