Current water snapshot

The status of the state’s water resources across various categories, including storage levels, rainfall and seasonal outlooks.

Water storage levels

• Melbourne Water storage levels

* Victoria has a 50% share of inflows to Dartmouth and in Hume

• Goulburn-Murray Water storage levels
• Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water storage levels

* Werribee Basin storage value is the combined volume of the Melton, Merrimu and Pykes reservoirs

• Barwon Water storage levels
• Central Highlands Water storage levels
• Coliban Water storage levels
• Gippsland Water storage levels
• South Gippsland Water storage levels
• Westernport Water storage levels

Monthly storage levels

As of the end of February 2025:

• Regional storages were 63% full.
  • 6% lower than the previous month (69%).
• Melbourne storages were 81% full.
  • 3% lower than the previous month (84%).
• Total Victorian storages were 66% full.
  • 5% lower than the previous month (71%).

Download the monthly dataset

Updated 20 March 2024. The next update is in mid-April 2025.

Regional, Melbourne and all Victoria monthly storage levels

Bureau of Meteorology rainfall maps

On the Bureau of Meteorology websites, view

• map of rainfall received in the past 7 days
• map of total rainfall received month to date

• There is an average chance (40-55%) of exceeding the median rainfall for April to June across most of Victoria, with a higher chance (55-70%) in the west.
• Maximum daily temperatures in April to June are likely to exceed the median (60-80% chance) across Victoria.
• Updated on 13 March 2025. The next update is expected on 20 March 2025.

• The Bureau's model forecasts neutral El Niño–Southern Oscillation (neither El Niño nor La Niña) until at least August. This is consistent with all surveyed international models.
• The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is neutral. The IOD typically has little association with Australian climate from December to April.
• The Southern Annular Mode (SAM) is positive as at 15 March. Forecasts show the SAM will likely become neutral later this week and will stay neutral until at least mid-April. A positive SAM typically has little impact on Australia at this time of year.
• Updated on 18 March 2025. The next update is expected on 1 April 2025.

Current urban restrictions

As at 18 March 2025, there were no towns on restrictions, with permanent water saving rules in place across Victoria. The last time urban restrictions were in place was in June 2020, when 20 towns were on stage 1 restrictions.

Urban water corporations publish water restrictions on their websites.

Find your urban water corporation.

Monthly urban restrictions - 2010 to 2025

The graph and data below are updated at the end of each month.

Updated 4 March 2025. The next update is in early April 2025.

Graph of total number of towns on urban restrictions from January 2010 to February 2025

Stream restrictions

End-of-month stream restrictions - 2010 to 2025

As at 24 February 2025, there were 123 stream sections with restrictions or bans on licensed diversions across Victoria - 10 more than at the end of January 2025*. These are shown in red and purple in the map below.

Map of streams restricted as at 24 February 2025**

*  This count includes management sections subject to diversion restrictions (the term used for partial limitation on take) as well as complete bans on take.

** This map is for indicative purposes only and licence holders should refer to their respective water corporation regarding stream restrictions. This map does not display all stream restrictions.

The graph and data below are as at the end of each month.

Updated 24 February 2025. The next update is late March 2025.

Graph of total number of stream sections restricted from January 2010 to February 2025

Groundwater summary

Quarterly groundwater level trend update

1 October to 31 December 2024 quarter.

Groundwater level trends in groundwater management units (GMUs) are reported quarterly. Groundwater level trends for GMUs have been determined based on 5 years (short-term) or 10 years (long-term) of consistent monitoring data from key bores in the State Observation Bore Network (SOBN).

There are 2 categories of GMUs:

• Groundwater management areas (GMAs).
• Water supply protection areas (WSPAs).

Updated 18 March 2025. The next update is May 2025 (for the January to March 2025 quarter).

Short and long term groundwater level trend maps

Groundwater restrictions

In 2024-25, 3 GMUs are subject to allocation restrictions:

• Barnadown (Lower Campaspe Valley WSPA) at 75%.
• Deutgam WSPA at 50%.
• Neuarpur subzone 1 (West Wimmera GMA) at 80%.

Updated 4 July 2024. The next update is July 2025.

Seasonal determinations and allocations

Seasonal determinations are made against water shares to provide allocations in declared systems. These can be for high reliability (HRWS) or low reliability (LRWS) water shares. In northern Victoria, Goulburn-Murray Water makes the seasonal determinations in the relevant systems, while Southern Rural Water makes the seasonal determinations in the Thomson/Macalister and Bacchus Marsh/Werribee systems.

In the Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water area, resource assessments are undertaken every month to determine the amount of water that can be made available to entitlement holders. These monthly assessments result in a formal announcement on water allocations.

Coliban Water assesses seasonal allocations for customers on its rural network based on available resources in the Coliban System.

Goulburn-Murray Water

Southern Rural Water

Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water

Coliban Water

Page last updated: 20/03/25