Annual Water Outlook

Latest Victorian outlook (as at 1 December 2018)

Download the December 2018 Annual Water Outlook for Victoria (PDF, 2.7 MB)
Previous outlooks

Victoria is prepared to meet urban water needs in 2018-19.

Melbourne, Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat and all major towns have enough water to meet demand for the coming year.

Melbourne is not expected to face water restrictions in the coming year.

Continuing to use water wisely and water from the Desalination Project are important ways to keep Melbourne’s supply secure.

Regional urban water corporations are not expecting water restrictions under average forecast conditions.

If Victoria experiences dry or worst on record conditions this summer, water restrictions may be necessary in some towns in regional Victoria.

In regulated systems water shareholders have 24 – 100 per cent of their high-reliability water shares.

Licence holders in unregulated systems in the east and centre of the state may expect some level of restrictions, especially over summer.

Licence holders in a number of unregulated systems in the Gippsland, Goulburn-Murray and greater Melbourne regions are already on restrictions.

Most groundwater licence holders will not be affected by restrictions this year.

However continued declines may see more areas restricted in 2019/2020.

Warmer temperatures and average rainfall are predicted for Victoria this summer.

A poorer than expected filling season occurred for most major storages in Victoria due to drier than average conditions across most of the state, especially in the northern and eastern parts.

Storage levels across Victoria’s major water storages are 13 per cent lower than at the same time for November last year.

There is still enough supply to meet demand.

Using water efficiently is everyone’s responsibility to help secure water supplies.

Permanent Water Use (Saving) Rules remain in place throughout the state to ensure continued sensible water use.

The Victorian Government is working in partnership with the water sector including water corporations and the community to help secure water supplies for current and future generations.