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Melbourne: Statement of Changes in Water Assets and Water Liabilities

for the year ended 30 June 2020

  • The volume of water in the region's storages increased during 2019–20 for the first time in three years.
  • This increase represents the change in water volume in the region's surface water storages.

Schematic representation of the Melbourne region. Total water inflows during 2019–20 was 3,569 GL. Total water outflows was 3,140 GL. Water storage at 30 June 2020 was 250 GL higher than the previous year.

The Statement of Changes in Water Assets and Water Liabilities is provided in the table below. The statement presents the actual water flows associated with the region's water stores, as well as the changes in water assets and water liabilities that occurred during the year.

 

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 2020 ML2019 ML2018 ML2017 ML2016 ML2015 ML
Water inflows
Surface water inflows2,007,158783,1961,081,9241,893,529864,1651,073,076
Precipitation81,00050,069**62,104**74,360**56,263**60,364
Inter-region inflow214,818126,955**157,667**196,912**132,079**158,395
Runoff1,625,851566,395**798,421**1,510,712**626,694**764,602
Point return: irrigation109246576182121
Flood return67,63125,522**44,260**90,152**33,501**59,568
Discharge: urban supply*000831281349
Discharge: wastewater*16,94113,65318,65817,44314,20628,223
Delivery: inter-region808356**757**3,058**1,059**1,454
 
Groundwater inflows708,579290,791319,906385,279301,539332,369
Inter-region coastal inflow38,59629,90328,47128,71328,39433,665
Recharge: landscape302,222119,528**125,443**127,676**119,311**123,707
Recharge: surface water*342,171107,763**126,101**195,120**115,239**139,246
Leakage: urban system*25,59033,59739,89133,77038,595**35,751
 
Urban water system inflows852,922825,973835,015860,976796,474756,497
Wastewater collected396,803359,631361,263377,859350,527336,494
Allocated diversion: surface water*337,915443,896458,708436,848445,845419,917
Allocated extraction: groundwater*7272726010286
Delivery: desalinated water118,13222,37414,97246,20900
 
Total water inflows3,568,6591,899,960**2,236,845**3,139,784**1,962,178**2,161,942
Water outflows
Surface water outflows2,087,4011,226,3791,448,8141,930,1271,306,3071,497,132
Evaporation71,30672,833**78,831**78,674**74,096**78,219
Outflow1,101,543534,774**682,047**1,026,002**584,548**732,237
Recharge: groundwater*342,171107,763**126,101**195,120**115,239**139,246
Overbank flow211,22941,672**79,644**169,415**63,365**103,799
Non-allocated diversion: individual users10,32313,65212,243**12,04214,67012,550
Allocated diversion: individual users8,6517,6187,391**8,2345,0048,058
Allocated diversion: urban system*337,915443,896458,708436,848445,845419,917
Transfer: inter-region4,2634,1713,8493,7923,5403,106
 
Groundwater outflows202,728151,343153,431155,029149,266169,761
Inter-region coastal outflow184,378130,311132,349134,657124,561139,716
Discharge: landscape–––––10,918
Allocated extraction: individual users18,27820,96021,01020,31224,60319,041
Allocated extraction: urban system*7272726010286
 
Urban water system outflows849,954815,898815,165812,423789,630751,235
Leakage: groundwater*25,59033,59739,89133,77038,595**35,751
Delivery: urban users398,582409,913398,598386,147389,989368,103
Discharge: sea322,703268,481277,668301,846267,248261,293
Discharge: landscape0107253190131183
Supply system transfer: inter-region12,7855,8362,1591,071431247
Supply system delivery: irrigation1021,2561,5077561,36567
Supply system discharge: surface water*000831281349
Other supply system decreases12,43913,68614,69913,35512,56712,395
Recycled water delivery: urban users40,42638,42231,48030,63331,44022,634
Recycled water delivery: irrigation7,79312,41512,2248,97011,8687,567
Wastewater discharge: surface water*16,94113,65318,65817,44314,20628,223
Other wastewater decreases12,59318,53218,02817,41121,50914,423
 
Total water outflows3,140,0832,193,620**2,417,410**2,897,579**2,245,203**2,418,128
 
Unaccounted-for difference(178,189)142,842**89,999**(144,847)**100,374**149,584
 
 
Change in water storage      
Change in surface water storage250,564(151,208)**(89,959)**98,160**(183,739)**(105,627)
Change in groundwater storage1900000
Change in urban water storage(196)390(607)(802)1,088(975)
Total change in water storage250,387(150,818)**(90,566)**97,358**(182,651)**(106,602)
 
Closing water storage1,348,1971,097,810**1,248,628**1,339,194**1,241,836**1,424,487
 
 
Change in water claims      
Change in urban system claims*93,861(40,140)(31,306)31,706(2,585)(24,536)
Total change in water claims93,861(40,140)(31,306)31,706(2,585)(24,536)
 
 
Change in water liability
Surface water liability99,132(42,590)(33,893)39,189(5,014)(23,429)
Allocation remaining: individual users5,271(2,450)(2,587)7,483(2,429)1,107
Allocation remaining: urban system*93,861(40,140)(31,306)31,706(2,585)(24,536)
Commitment: inter-region000000
 
Groundwater liability000000
Allocation remaining: individual users000000
Allocation remaining: urban system*000000
Total change in water liability99,132(42,590)(33,893)39,189(5,014)(23,429)
       
Net change in water assets245,116(148,368)**(87,979)**89,875**(180,222)**(107,709)
 

 

* between-store flows

** different to published volume in historical accounts (see Governance for more information)

Note: quantification approaches used to derive each item volume are provided in the Methods