The Monthly Water Report provides a statewide monthly summary of the status of water resources and water supplies. Each month's report is published online towards the end of the following month. It is based on data provided by the State’s 20 urban and rural water corporations.

Rainfall

Victoria experienced a warm and dry June, with rainfall totals below average across most of the state. Rainfall totals for June were very much below average in large parts of the East Gippsland and Northeast districts.

Eight rainfall recording sites across the state experienced their lowest June rainfall for at least 20 years, and another four sites experienced their lowest June rainfall on record.

Streamflows

Rainfall received mid-June did not result in significant surface run-off, and the stream flow situation across the state has worsened since May. 

At the end of the month, stream flows at the representative gauging stations were below average across the entire state.  Flows below 10% of the long-term average for June were recorded at 18 of the 28 representative stations across Victoria.

Storage Volumes

The total volume in the state’s major storages was at 18.4% of capacity at the end of June, an increase of 0.5% over the month.  The slowing rate of decline in storage volumes and the slight recovery is due to decreased winter demand and small storage inflows throughout June. However, storage volumes remain very low in central and northern Victoria.

Melbourne's storages decreased by 0.6% during the month to finish at 29.5% of capacity, which is 1.4% lower than at the same time last year.  Rural water corporation storages increased by 0.6% to finish the month at 16.3% of capacity.

Restrictions on Urban Water Supplies

The total number of Victorian towns on restriction as at 30 June 2008 was 366, the same as the previous month.  Of these, 63 towns were on Stage 1, 70 were on Stage 2, 41 were on Stage 3, 18 were on Stage 3a, 77 on Stage 4 with general exemptions, and 97 on Stage 4. 

Irrigation Allocations

Irrigation allocations were still extremely low across northern, central and western Victoria in June.  In northern Victoria, G-MW announced the final seasonal allocations on 1 April, with water resource improvements received after this date until the end of June 2008 set aside for 2008/09 system operations and allocations. The seasonal allocation for Coliban Water’s rural system remained at 35%, and the irrigation allocation remained at zero in the Wimmera-Mallee supply system.

In southern Victoria, allocations in the Werribee and Bacchus Marsh Irrigation District remained at 8% and Southern Rural Water continued the ban on access to groundwater in the Deutgam groundwater management area.  The regulated irrigation allocation from Blue Rock Lake remained at 17.3%. The irrigation season in the Macalister Irrigation District closed on the 15 May with an allocation of 200%. 

Restrictions on Unregulated Streams

At the end of June, diversions from a total of 156 unregulated streams and lakes across the state were subject to some form of restriction.  This is slightly greater than at the same time last year when 149 streams were on restriction.

Seasonal Climate Outlook

The rainfall outlook for the July – September period released by the Bureau of Meteorology on 26 June 2008 indicates that the chance of exceeding the three-month median rainfall is 30% to 40% across most of Victoria. This shows a shift favouring drier than average conditions.  Probabilities of a wet season are slightly higher in the southeast of Victoria at 40% to 50%.

The latest ENSO Wrap-Up (issued on 18 June 2008) indicates a consolidation of the neutral ENSO pattern across the equatorial Pacific. The majority of computer models show the neutral pattern continuing.  However, ENSO events can evolve quite rapidly at this time of year and Pacific temperatures will continue to be closely monitored for signs of an evolving El Nino.