Region’s water levels high

GOOD rain over winter has led Central Highland Water to say that the city’s water supplies are in a “good position” as summer gets underway.

Currently Ballarat’s reserves are at 93 per cent of storage with the 14,107 megalitre White Swan Reservoir at 87.1 per cent full and CHW’s share of the Lal Lal Reservoir at 99 per cent capacity.

Other storages range from 58.4 per cent at Beales Reservoir to 96.7 per cent at Gong Gong.

“CHW’s water supply resources are in a good position leading into the start of the 2019-20 summer period,” said managing director Paul O’Donohue.

Mr O’Donohue made the statement as part of the water authority’s new 12-month outlook.

The report said that Ballarat has received 793 millimetres of rain over the 12 months to October, or 90 per cent of the long-term average, and there’s a 40 to 45 per cent chance of above average rainfall over CHW catchment areas between now and February, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

The new shorter-term forecast, produced with the help of Bureau data, is a result of CHW’s recent community feedback process.

“Through our Let’s Talk Water campaign, our customers voiced a need to hear more about our water usage and water storage levels,” Mr O’Donohue said.

“We’ve always provided the long-term view, the change since last year however has been to also provide a shorter 12-month outlook.”

CHW looks after 15 different water supply networks that cover 9275 square kilometres across municipalities including the City of Ballarat, and Golden Plains, Hepburn and Pyrenees shires.

“It’s our responsibility to ensure that we provide safe, reliable and sustainable water supply to our communities today and for future generations,” Mr O’Donohue said.

For more information on current water storage levels, and to read the 12-month outlook in full, visit chw.net.au.