Rain not enough to fill storage

Coliban Water manager of raw water supply Steve Healy said the low inflows showed how dry the catchments were at the beginning of autumn.

“Rainfall received at our catchment storages located near Kyneton was 180 millimetres, which is 17 millimetres more than the long term average for the same period,” he said.

“But inflows were below the long-term average with 1236 megaliltres flowing into storages compared to 2519 megalitres for the long term average over the same period.”

Mr Healy said there are positive signs from the Bureau of Meteorology with wetter conditions predicted for winter.

“If this occurs, our catchments will be well placed for higher inflows,” he said.

The Kyneton area’s catchments serve a water supply to Castlemaine and Kyneton. They were last full in 2012.

“We have been carefully monitoring and managing our resources,” Mr Healy said.

“Without rain we will need to consider the introduction of low level water restrictions for Castlemaine and Kyneton areas to sustain our operating target of keeping two years' of supply in storage.

“We have nine separate water supply systems across our region, each with a different supply source and level of water security – all reliant on rainfall over winter and spring.

Mr Healy said permanent water saving rules are in place across the Coliban region.

“Everything we do to conserve water – even in the cooler months – helps our overall water security,” he said.

For Coliban Water rural customers, the initial allocation forecast remains at 30 per cent.

“We will announce the opening allocation on 1 July and we anticipate with good winter and spring rain the allocation will increase as we move forward into the next rural season,” Mr Healy said.

For more information or details on Coliban’s catchments visit www.coliban.com.au