Latest update from Melbourne Water

Current priorities

Following heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding in Melbourne, rural and regional Victoria, Melbourne Water continues to prioritise its focus on:

• Continuing to work closely with the State Emergency Service (SES), Emergency Management Victoria (EMV), local communities and other relevant agencies to assess impacts to our waterways and provide timely information for upcoming weather warnings;
• Deploying crews in affected areas to assist flood recovery, remove debris and litter, assess erosion and inspect and urgently fix damaged drains;
• Managing our water supply catchments;
• Safely managing and treating sewage;
• Monitoring Melbourne’s overall waterway health; and
• Undertaking a review of the Maribyrnong River flooding event

Flood recovery efforts to improve waterway health and ensure community safety

We continue to prioritise our focus on deploying crews in affected areas to assist flood recovery, remove debris and litter, assess erosion and inspect and urgently fix damaged drains.

We are currently experiencing a high volume of requests regarding damage to our drainage and waterways assets, and the presence of litter and fallen trees in public areas.

Melbourne Water prioritise inspections and repairs of issues that present critical public safety risks and operational risks to the safe functioning of our waterways and drainage assets.

 General clean-up of issues such as litter and debris in public areas, damaged fences and fallen trees will begin to occur as the critical risks are being addressed.

 Information on how much rubbish has been cleared is not available at this stage as the work is ongoing.

If you would like to report any impacts to your local waterways or Melbourne Water assets in your area, please contact 131 722.

Thomson Reservoir has reached capacity for the first time in more than a quarter of a century  

One of Victoria’s largest water storage reservoirs, the Thomson Reservoir in West Gippsland, has reached capacity for the first time in over 25 years.

The reservoir is currently 100 percent full and has reached the dam’s spillway for the first time since 1996.

Spillways are designed to safely transfer excess water during extreme weather events or during prolonged periods of rainfall that cause a reservoir to fill.

Given recent high rainfall in the Thomson catchment, Melbourne Water has been carefully managing storage levels through controlled releases from the Thomson Reservoir to the Thomson River down to the Gippsland Lakes, to maintain a safe operating range of our storages.

Local residents and businesses downstream may notice higher and faster flows than normal.  

Melbourne Water has also been managing water storages across the water supply network  by moving water between reservoirs and conducting controlled releases to manage high storage levels.  

Water releases are an important part of streamflow to waterways and positively contribute to environmental outcomes.

Greater Melbourne storages are in the best position they have been for a long time.

Melbourne Water aims to have storages as full as possible before the start of future dry conditions and droughts to avoid the impacts water restrictions can have on the community. 

Members of the community can monitor real-time changes of the Thomson River level at Coopers Creek on the Bureau of Meteorology website River Height data for Thomson R at Coopers Creek (bom.gov.au)     

Maribyrnong River flood review - update

Melbourne Water has commenced work on establishing a review of the Maribyrnong River flooding event that occurred between 14-16 October, 2022.

The review will

• examine the causes of flooding, including any potential impacts of the Flemington Racecourse flood wall;
• understand the impact of works or activities in the catchment on flood levels,
• explore whether any other matters may have contributed; and
• provide a report to government on the review’s findings and any recommended actions.

Melbourne Water is committed to establishing an independent and transparent review process. To this end, Melbourne Water will appoint a qualified and experienced independent person to lead the review.

Once an independent person is appointed, Melbourne Water plans to release the full details of how the review will be conducted including the terms of reference, key dates and public submission opportunities.

Importantly, the review will invite submissions from stakeholders and the community, in particular, any impacted local residents. 

Findings and recommendations of the review will be submitted to Government. Melbourne Water is committed to an open and transparent approach with all stakeholders and the community.

Melbourne Water will keep you updated as progress continues.

About Melbourne Water

From providing clean drinking water, treating sewage so we can recover and re-use our valued resources, planning to manage flooding and keeping all 25,000 kms of Melbourne’s rivers, creeks and catchments healthy, Melbourne Water has an essential role in managing all parts of the water cycle that are essential to our way of life, today, tomorrow and for the generations to come.