Storages flatline despite rain, pipe

Geelong’s water storages have failed to recover despite recent above-average rain and a new pipeline bringing additional supplies from Melbourne.
Barwon Water measured storage capacity on Wednesday at 32.2 per cent, unchanged since the start of May when levels bottomed out after eight months of decline.
Only several months of above-average rain would produce a “marked increase” in the storage levels, said Barwon Water managing director Joe Adamski.
“A long period of low rainfall and warm conditions mean Geelong’s catchments are dry, resulting in less runoff following rainfall,” he said.
Barwon Water recently eased restrictions at Colac, Lorne and Apollo Bay but Mr Adamski said Geelong’s larger storages required greater volumes of rain to “show signs of recovery”.
“The coastal and Colac storages show a rapid response because they are smaller, fill more quickly and require less inflow to do so.”
Geelong’s main catchment received 247mm of rain last month, compared to May’s monthly average of 154mm. June had recorded 36mm so far compared to the 190mm average.
Back-up sources, including the Melbourne-Geelong pipeline, “would not result in a spike in overall storage levels”, Mr Adamski said.
“What these sources do is provide a steady supply that will arrest any further drop in storage levels.”
However, long-range forecasts promised a soaking over the next few months, said Geelong Weather Services’ Lindsay Smail.
Forecasters expected above-average winter and spring rain, Mr Smail said.
The May rain had dampened local soil to enhance prospects for higher storage levels, he said.
“Any good rain from now on should result in runoff.”
Mr Smail forecast scattered showers over the next seven days.