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Melbourne's water
storages are currently at:
41.9%
breakdown by reservoir
(you can click on each reservoir
for more information)
Thomson: 27.2%
Cardinia: 43.4%
Upper Yarra: 69.9%
Sugarloaf: 84.1%
Silvan: 88.9%
Tarago: 60.5%
Yan Yean: 54.6%
Greenvale: 66.6%
Maroondah: 100.0%
O'Shannassy: 100.0%
how clean is melbourne's water?
Melbourne has some of the cleanest drinking water in the world. What falls in the water catchments is pretty close to what comes out of our taps.
Any activities which could contaminate or pollute the water are not allowed in our catchments and reservoirs. This includes swimming, boating, fishing and hunting.
We usually allow long storage times of water in our reservoirs. On average, water is stored for up to 5 years. This allows the water to be purified through settling and natural disinfection processes (sunlight).
This means only minimal disinfection (with chlorine, chloramine or ultra-violet irradiation) is needed to ensure our health and safety.
The water treatment process
A treatment tank at Winneke Water Treatment Plant
Our water treatment process involves disinfection, fluoridation and pH correction.
Chlorination is our chosen disinfection method. Small amounts of chlorine are added to kill any disease-causing micro-organisms that might be in the water. The amount of chlorine added is equal to less than half a teacup in an average-size swimming pool.
We are required, by the Health (Fluoridation) Act 1973 to add fluoride to our drinking water supply. Scientific studies have shown that flouride helps keep our teeth strong and healthy. Australian government health organisations, the Australian Dental Association, the National Health and Medical Research Council and the World Health Organisation all support the fluoridation of our drinking water.
Chlorine and fluoride are slightly acidic, so lime is added to neutralise the water. This is so pipes and fittings in your homes won't corrode. These chemicals are closely monitored and controlled to ensure the correct amounts are added to our water.