See Melbourne’s water outlook for the year ahead: a summary of the state of our water availability and demand, and what this means for Melbourne – including actions the water industry is taking to secure a resilient, reliable water supply.
The Water Outlook is developed collaboratively by Melbourne Water, Greater Western Water, South East Water and Yarra Valley Water due to the shared nature of Melbourne’s water sources. It is based on storage levels in Melbourne’s water supply system as of late November each year, taking into account factors like rainfall, water orders from the Victorian Desalination Plant, and water conservation behaviours.
Melbourne’s water outlook at a glance
Outlook for 2025
Melbourne’s water storages are secure for the year ahead. Storages are high now, sitting at 88.4%, but can fall very quickly in dry conditions.
At a glance:
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Greater Melbourne’s storages remain high at 88.4%, securing our water supply for the next year, but our storages can fall very quickly in dry conditions.
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On average, stream flows from rainfall into Melbourne’s storages are not enough to supply our growing population, which grew by around 140,000 over the past year.
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Residential water use was 163 litres per person per day, which accounted for 66% of Melbourne’s total water use in 2023–24.
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We all have a role to play to protect this precious resource, ensuring we have enough water today, tomorrow and for generations to come.
Download the Water Outlook
For an in-depth look at these issues, download the Water Outlook:
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