At times of critical need, the 70 kilometre North–South Pipeline can carry water from the Goulburn River to Melbourne’s Sugarloaf Reservoir.
The pipeline was connected to Melbourne in February 2010. It was accompanied by two important upgrades to boost Sugarloaf Reservoir’s supply capacity and reach, allowing us to manage our water supply system more flexibly.
How the pipeline works
The North–South Pipeline can transfer a portion of Lake Eildon’s water that is set aside for Melbourne, called the Northern water reserve. The volume of water in this reserve is based on Goulburn-Murray Water’s advice.
If the pipeline is operating:
- Lake Eildon releases the allocated water into the Goulburn River
- Water is pumped into the pipeline and sent across the Great Dividing Range to Melbourne
- At Sugarloaf Reservoir, it mixes with water from the Maroondah and Yarra catchments
- All this water is treated at Winneke Water Treatment Plant to strict water quality guidelines
- Water is then fed to smaller service reservoirs supplying central, northern and western Melbourne
When water can be used
The Victorian Government has ruled that the Lake Eildon water allocation can only be used in times of critical human need: when Melbourne’s total water storages are less than 30% full on 30 November of any year.
This water is also available for local firefighting, and the North–South Pipeline has six Country Fire Authority offtakes for this purpose. This means the pipe must remain filled with water, even if it is not being pumped through the pipe.
Annual reports
- 2023 Annual report - Sugarloaf Pipeline Project
- 2022 Annual report - Sugarloaf Pipeline Project
- 2021 Annual report - Sugarloaf Pipeline Project
- 2020 Annual report - Sugarloaf Pipeline Project
- 2019 Annual report - Sugarloaf Pipeline Project
- 2018 Annual report - Sugarloaf Pipeline Project
- 2017 Annual report - Sugarloaf Pipeline Project
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- 2016 Annual report - Sugarloaf Pipeline Project
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- 2015 Annual report - Sugarloaf Pipeline Project
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- 2014 Annual report - Sugarloaf Pipeline Project
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- 2013 Annual report - Sugarloaf Pipeline Project
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- 2012 Annual report - Sugarloaf Pipeline Project
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- 2011 Annual report - Sugarloaf Pipeline Project
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- 2010 Annual report - Sugarloaf Pipeline Project
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Sugarloaf Reservoir
Sugarloaf Reservoir supplies the northern, western and central suburbs of Melbourne.
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