Desalinated water delivery for Ballarat

The Victorian Government has acted to secure Ballarat’s water supply by placing an order of 50 GL of desalinated water for delivery next summer. The order comes in the wake of a steady decline in water storages for the past two years, with Ballarat’s storages currently sitting at 52% compared to 67.1% at this time last year.

It is said that advice provided to the government by Melbourne Water, in consultation with the three metropolitan retailers, recommended placing a water order of 50 GL. The advice is based on analysis that considers current water levels in the storages, the likelihood of low inflows, dry conditions in the short term and forecast demand.

Ballarat and Geelong currently both have access to water in Lal Lal Reservoir. Geelong can also access water from Melbourne’s storages, which are set to be boosted with desalinated water. This allows Ballarat to access more water in the Lal Lal Reservoir.

Facing ongoing pressures of population growth and climate change, as well as the current dry conditions, the government will reactivate the Target 155 water savings campaign. Target 155 will include:

• a reminder that permanent water use rules remain in place in Melbourne, as well as cities and towns across the state;
• detail on water bills about water use and how it compares to the 155 target;
• promoting the Schools Water Efficiency Program;
• working with industry, local government and community groups about using water wisely.

The government will also release a water plan that will help ensure Victoria is best prepared to deal with the challenges posed by changing rainfall patterns, climate change and rapid population growth.

Originally published here.