Melbourne’s Annual Water Outlook report provides an overview of Greater Melbourne’s water situation, including information on storage levels, how much water is being used, and water restriction forecasts.
It brings together data and analysis from Greater Western Water, Melbourne Water, South East Water and Yarra Valley Water to help us and our customers plan and conserve water effectively.
The Melbourne Water Outlook 2026 report is available below.
Melbourne Water Outlook Quarterly Updates
While dry conditions continue, quarterly updates will be published at the end of each season including an overview of system storage levels, customer water use and the likelihood of restrictions.
The March, June and September updates are attached below. The next annual Melbourne Water Outlook will be released in December 2026.
September 2026 Update
Summary of key points:
As of 1 September 2026, Melbourne’s storages are at 69.3%, increasing by 5.9% (106.6 billion litres) since our last update 1 June 2026.
Despite winter recovery, storages are 3.1% lower than the same time last year and more than 20% lower than the same time 2 years ago.
Household water use was around 159 litres per day over the past 12 months.
Local Greater Western Water storages
Drinking water in the northwest of our service region comes from local creeks, reservoirs and bores (groundwater), supplemented by water from the Melbourne system.
Local storages have increased by 18% since 1 June 2026.
As of 1 September 2026, local storages are at 72%.
A hot and dry spring can cause our storages to drop quickly.
