National Water Account 2016

Melbourne: Key findings

Melbourne region's water use increased by 6%, corresponding with dry conditions throughout most of the year. The water demand was met by:

  • an increase of water supplied from Thomson Reservoir of 66%
  • an increase of groundwater extracted by 29%
  • trading of water from outside the region for irrigation purposes
calendar icon showing water year from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016

CLIMATE AND WATER

Rainfall

Rainfall icon

695 mm

below the long-term average

Streamflow

Streamflow icon

below average

less than last year

Storage

Storage icon

60% full

1% less than last year  

WATER USE

Graph showing breakdown of water sources use in the Melbourne region for 2015–16. 220,902 ML of surface water was diverted or approximately 45% of total water sourced; Groundwater extracted was 24,705 ML or 5% of total water sourced; and inter-region water imported to the region was 248,535 ML, or 50% of total water sourced.

494,142 ML

Water sourced

Water supplied

groundwater

5%

surface water

45%

inter-region

50%

6%

more water used than last year

arrow pointing right Graph showing breakdown of water supplied to users in the Melbourne region for 2015–16. 44,277 ML was supplied to individual users or 9% of total water supplied; 446,325 ML was supplied to the urban system or 90% of total water supplied; and 3,540 ML was supplied to outside the region, or 1% of total water supplied

individual users

9%

urban

90%

inter-region

1%