Autumn is forecast to be drier than average across Southern Rural Water’s service area, continuing the warmer trend that started in mid-December last year.
In the Werribee and Bacchus Marsh irrigation districts, at the end of December, allocations reached 100% of High Reliability Water Shares and 100% Low Reliability Water Shares for the fourth year in a row.
If the dry weather persists, customer demand will continue to be high throughout autumn. Customers are reminded to place their water orders early when warmer weather is forecast.
The dry weather is also expected to continue in the Macalister Irrigation Area. Customers are irrigating every 7-10 days, utilising the available 100% High Reliability Water Shares and 20% Low Reliability Water Shares. Customers have plenty of water available to them and will likely irrigate late into autumn.
Groundwater customers will be heartened with news that sustained aquifer recharge and reduced demand has meant an improvement to groundwater levels and quality. This is good news for Southern Rural Water’s Deutgam groundwater licence holders, who have received 100% of their entitlement volumes for 2022-23 in response to improved conditions.
Stream diverters will need to maintain awareness of rosters and restrictions as conditions dry and irrigation demand increases. Demand is expected to be average for unregulated customers throughout summer and autumn.
The wet spring did impact negatively on the safe operation of private dams, with 27 dams failing in Victoria between July and November 2022.
Private dam owners are reminded of their obligation to inspect their dams for signs of damage and report any issues to Southern Rural Water before undertaking repairs.