Water supplies secure in face of challenges

Water storages are predicted to remain secure across the Barwon region over the next two years, despite a testing period marked by rising use and low rainfall.

In its Annual Water Outlook, Barwon Water has found a ‘rare’ chance of the region’s largest population areas requiring water restrictions between now and December 2026.

The Lorne and Apollo Bay systems are similarly secure, with the prospect of water restrictions also ‘rare’ between now and December 2026.

Our Colac and Gellibrand systems are also classified as ‘very rare’, even under the worst climatic conditions.

The Bureau of Meteorology has a ‘watch’ in place for a La Nina event, with slightly above median rainfall projected for our region this summer.

Barwon Water Managing Director Shaun Cumming said investing in alternative water sources was essential to ensuring supplies kept up with a rising population and changing climate.

“As the region continues to attract more residents and there’s growing demand for our services, we need to tip the balance from relying on rainfall to more climate-resilient sources.

“This includes increasing our use of and exploring opportunities for manufactured water such as recycled water for non-drinking water purposes.

“All water matters, so we’ll continue to focus on water efficiency and conservation measures, to ensure we’re smart and sustainable with our resources.”

The Barwon Water region grew by about 9,000 residents over 2023/24, contributing to an increase demand by 11 per cent on the previous financial year.

This population growth occurred during a period of historically low rainfall.

Our West Barwon catchment, which is the second largest storage in the Geelong region, is about 30 per cent below average.

This helped Geelong’s water storages – which were 80 per cent full at the start of 2024 – to decline to around 60 per cent in late November.

However, as part of Barwon Water’s push to diversify sources, the storages were supplemented by 2.5 billion litres of water transferred via the Melbourne to Geelong Pipeline.

Further investments in the Melbourne to Geelong Pipeline are on the way, which will extend the network’s ability to supply more of our customers and allow for water to be returned to the Moorabool River.

The full 2024 Annual Water Outlook can be viewed at www.barwonwater.vic.gov.au/water-and-waste/annual-water-outlook

For more on longer-term water supply planning, our Urban Water Strategy - which contains a 50-year outlook - is available at www.barwonwater.vic.gov.au/water-and-waste/water-for-our-future