Bureau Home » Water Information » National Water Account » 2022 Account » Melbourne » Water Accounting Statements » Water Assets and Water Liabilities

Melbourne: Statement of Water Assets and Water Liabilities

as at 30 June 2022

  • Water availability in the Melbourne region's storages increased during 2021-22.
  • Water availability is represented by the net water assets, which are the volume of water assets minus the water liabilities.

Schematic representation of the Melbourne region. Total surface water and groundwater assets at 30 June 2022 was 1,795 GL. Total water liabilities was 12 GL. Closing net water assets at 30 June 2022 was 1,783 GL, 14% more than last year.

The Statement of Water Assets and Water Liabilities is provided in the table below.
The statement presents the volume of water assets and water liabilities at the start and end of the reporting year.

 

Expand all Collapse all
 

Select comparative year

  2022 (ML) 2021 (ML) 2020 (ML) 2019 (ML) 2018 (ML) 2017 (ML)
Water assets
Surface water 1,726,297 1,503,925 1,280,929 1,031,669 1,171,946 1,255,332
Accessible storage 1,642,599 1,417,422 1,197,978 946,595 1,092,823 1,175,434
Dead storage 76,623 76,623 76,623 76,623 76,623 76,623
Rivers 7,075 9,880 6,328 8,451 2,500 3,275
 
Groundwater 39,737 38,638 38,638 38,619 38,619 38,619
Water table aquifers 23,172 22,073 22,073 22,054 22,054 22,054
Underlying aquifers 16,565 16,565 16,565 16,565 16,565 16,565
 
Urban water system 28,906 28,906 28,613 28,809 28,419 29,026
Urban waste system storages 28,906 28,906 28,613 28,809 28,419 29,026
 
Total water assets 1,794,940 1,571,469 1,348,180 1,099,097 1,238,984 1,322,977
Water liabilities
Surface water liability 12,456 11,451 11,229 5,958 8,408 10,995
Allocation remaining: surface water users 12,456 11,451 11,229 5,958 8,408 10,995
Commitment: inter-region 0 0 0 0 0 0
 
Groundwater liability 0 0 0 0 0 0
Groundwater allocation remaining: individual users 0 0 0 0 0 0
 
Total water liabilities 12,456 11,451 11,229 5,958 8,408 10,995
Net water assets
Net surface water assets 1,713,841 1,492,474 1,269,700 1,025,711 1,163,538 1,224,337
Opening net surface water assets 1,492,474 1,269,700 1,025,711 1,163,538 1,244,337 1,164,414
Change in net surface water assets 221,367 222,774 243,989 (137,827) (80,799) 79,923
Closing net surface water assets 1,713,841 1,492,474 1,269,700 1,025,711 1,163,538 1,244,337
 
Net groundwater assets 39,737 38,638 38,638 38,619 38,619 38,619
Opening net groundwater assets 38,638 38,638 38,619 38,619 38,619 38,619
Change in net groundwater assets 1,099 0 19 0 0 0
Closing net groundwater assets 39,737 38,638 38,638 38,619 38.619 38,619
 
Net urban water assets 28,906 28,906 28,613 28,809 28,419 29,026
Opening net urban water assets 28,906 28,613 28,809 28,419 29,026 29,828
Change in net urban water assets 0 293 (196) 390 (607) (802)
Closing net urban water assets 28,906 28,906 28,613 28,809 28,419 29,026
Total closing net water assets 1,782,484 1,560,018 1,336,951 1,093,139 1,230,576 1,311,982
Total change in net water assets 222,466 223,067 243,812 (137,437) (81,406) 79,121

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