Service delivery

4 Water Page 6 Alternative water sources and integrated water cycle management Page 14 Sewerage Page 22 Waterways Page 28

5 Service delivery Water

6 “Our water storages continued to rise during the first half of 2012–13, exceeding 80% full for the first time since June 1997.”

Our aim Key achievements Disappointments • Met all water quality targets for • Failed to meet our target of less than Provide services that are valued E. coli, turbidity, aluminium and 1% for measurable transfer losses by our customers. disinfection by-products of total water delivered, partly due to water quality issues at the Tarago We will do this by: • Worked closely with water retailers to develop an annual Water Outlook, Treatment Plant and leakage from • Providing high-quality, safe and reliable which gives the community better the Tyabb Service Reservoir drinking water and fit-for-purpose access to water use and supply • Two water main bursts caused water from alternative sources information minor damage and disruption in • Providing safe sewage transfer, • Achieved a $12 million capital saving Glen Waverley and Viewbank. treatment and disposal on a new water pipeline servicing • Protecting and enhancing the health ’s growing area of Wyndham Challenges and amenity of waterways and bays • Worked with fire fighting agencies • Working with water retailers, local • Managing flood risk to successfully protect water councils and the development industry catchments from bushfires. to maximise use of stormwater and • Adapting our assets to address recycled water while balancing use climate change and variability from traditional catchments and dams • Planning, operating and maintaining • Continuing to research and assess our built and natural assets efficiently the impact of seasonal and long- by incorporating innovative and term climate change on hydrology whole-of-life system approaches projections. • Providing for continuity of service by improving the way we plan for, respond to, and recover from extreme events.

7 Service delivery Water

Our water supply system Managing demand and supply Reflecting below average rainfall, 2012–13 stream flow of 478 billion ’s supply system Our water storages continued to litres into the major harvesting comprises: rise during the first half of 2012–13, reservoirs was 3.1% below the long-term exceeding 80% full for the first time • 157,000 hectares of protected average. The year started well with since June 1997. However, even though catchments in the Yarra Ranges above average stream flow for the first total reservoir storage was 70.1% three months, although the last nine • 10 reservoirs with a total capacity or 1,271 billion litres at 1 July 2012, months of 2012–13 were below average. of 1,812 billion litres it had only increased to 70.8% or • 34 water treatment plants 1,282.9 billion litres by 30 June 2013. The total system storage volume of 70.8% at 30 June 2013 is the highest Rainfall across Melbourne’s catchments • 1,057 kilometres of water mains for this time of year in 16 years. for 2012–13 was below the long-term • 214 kilometres of aqueducts It represents a significant recovery average following two wetter years from June 2009 when storage levels • 64 service reservoirs. with back-to-back La Niña events in fell to their minimum of 25.6% during 2010–11 and 2011–12. Rainfall over the 1997 to 2009 Millennium Drought. the major catchments in 2012–13 was between 8.6% and 14.7% below average, with the catchment weighted average being 3.1% below. Thomson catchment highlighted the variability in monthly rainfall, receiving only 8 millimetres in January, yet 220 millimetres in June.

Figure 1 Goulburn River Melbourne Water Yea N water supply system

Toorourrong Reservoir Yea-Sugarloaf Pipeline Yan Yean O'shannassy Reservoir Reservoir Water supply pipeline, aqueduct Western Water Greenvale Reservoir Maroondah (Sunbury) Reservoir Water supply storage reservoir Water supply catchment area Western City West Thomson Water Water Reservoir Retail Water area boundary (Melton) Southern Rural Water Melbourne (Macalister Irrigation District)

Cardinia Reservoir Gippsland Water (Neerim South) Gippsland Water (Warragul) Port Phillip Bay South East Water

WesternWestern Port Port

French Island

Phillip Bass Strait Island

8 Figure 2 200 Monthly average rainfall at Melbourne’s major harvesting reservoirs 150

Rainfall 2012-13 (mm/month) 100 Rainfall 30-year long-term average (mm/month) 50

0

Jul-2012 Jan-2013 Feb-2013 Apr-2013 Jun-2013 Aug-2012 Sep-2012 Oct-2012 Nov-2012 Dec-2012 Mar-2013 May-2013

Figure 3 120000 Monthly average streamflow at Melbourne’s major 100000 harvesting reservoirs 80000

Steamflow 2012–13 (ML/month) 60000 Steamflow 30-year long-term 40000 average (ML/month)

20000

0

Jul–2012 Jan–2013 Apr–2013 Jun–2013 Aug–2012 Sep–2012 Oct–2012 Nov–2012 Dec–2012 Feb–2013 Mar–2013 May–2013

Figure 4 100% Melbourne’s water storage 80%

60% Storage volume (%) 40%

20%

0%

1998 1999 2001 2010 2011 2012 2013 2000 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Jan Jan–1997Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan

Figure 5 1200 Annual stream flow at Melbourne’s major harvesting reservoirs (Upper Yarra, Thomson, 960 Maroondah, O’Shannassy Reservoirs)

720 Financial year reservoir inflow (GL) 2006–07 infows – 480 lowest on record (180.0 GL) Long-term average (613.0 GL/a) 240 1997/98–2011/12 average (420.5 GL pa) 0

1912/13 1921/22 1976/77 1903/04 1930/31 1949/50 1958/59 1967/68 1985/86 1994/95 2003/04 2012/13

9 Service delivery Water

Desalination plant on standby New pipeline to service growth • Ensuring all connections of in Wyndham alternative supply mains were The Victorian Desalination Plant open and operational was commissioned in 2012. Construction of a water pipeline to service Wyndham, one of the fastest • Daily surveillance along pipelines The AquaSure consortium undertook growing municipal areas in Australia, supplying the CBD to ensure no performance testing from September will cost $12 million less than originally impact from third party works to December 2012, with desalinated forecast due to savings identified as such as unknown excavation water meeting all required drinking water part of a joint integrated water cycle standards. The final commissioning test • Cancelling programmed works management approach with City involved running the plant at maximum associated with supply to the CBD West Water. capacity for 30 consecutive days. • Melbourne Water’s Water Control Water demand from the City West During commissioning, a total of Centre undertaking daily checks Water zones of Cowies Hill and West 24.9 gigalitres of desalinated water of the controlling pressures at key Werribee is forecast to increase was transferred to . locations to ensure adequate supply significantly over the next 25 years, However, as the Victorian Government • Reconfiguring water supply zones requiring construction of a new main placed a zero gigalitre order for 2012–13, to meet increasing summer demands. to service growth. the plant ceased production on completion of testing. A further zero Stage 2 of the St Albans to Werribee Water main bursts gigalitre order was placed for 2013–14. Pipeline project will now cost $12 million On 29 October 2012, a water main less following an analysis of the benefits In the lead up to the first supply of burst in Knights Drive, Glen Waverley, of integrated water cycle management desalinated water, Melbourne Water due to a faulty valve. The damaged and the impacts of changing growth worked closely with AquaSure, the section was shut down within an rates and peak demands. Department of Environment and hour and isolated to ensure no impact Primary Industries1 and impacted The diameter of the new pipeline will to water supply in the local area. water retailers to develop protocols be reduced by installing a ‘third-pipe’ Melbourne Water worked to assist for coordinated operation of systems carrying recycled water to households the owners of the one property that and infrastructure. This included for non-drinking purposes, resulting was damaged. innovative hydrodynamic modelling in significant reductions in peak potable It is estimated that about two million of Cardinia Reservoir to predict the water demand. mix of the desalinated water in the litres of water, equating to 0.2% of reservoir and the potential impacts Melbourne’s daily water use, flowed Working collaboratively into the stormwater system. on water quality. to maintain supply On 20 December 2012, a water main While the desalination system will Following ground movement in burst in Martins Lane, Viewbank. operate on an as-needs basis, further October 2012 from the construction To avoid leaving Melbourne’s CBD and work will be undertaken with the of a new hospital, northern and western suburbs without operator to refine and integrate had to isolate its Elizabeth Street water, crews first redirected water from operating arrangements. transfer mains, which provide water other parts of the system before the to Melbourne’s CBD. damaged section could be shut down. To ensure a continued water supply The burst main, caused by a faulty to the CBD, Melbourne Water worked valve on the Silvan-Preston main, with City West Water on contingency resulted in some land erosion damage measures including: to several properties and Melbourne Water worked with emergency services to assist residents.

1 Formerly two separate departments known as the Department of Sustainability and Environment and the Department of Primary Industries.

10 Melbourne Water Annual Report 2012–13 Water consumption and quality 1 December 2012. Melbourne recorded Retail water consumption nine consecutive days of above 32°C in Stage 1 water restrictions were lifted Melbourne Water supplied 404,260 March 2013. This was the city’s longest and Permanent Water Use Rules were million litres of drinking water to water spell of 30°C or above days in any implemented in Melbourne from retailers in 2012–13. This compares month since records began in 1855. 1 December 2012. with 365,559 million litres in 2011–12, Residential daily per capita water and 351,761 million litres in 2010–11. Even though water restrictions consumption for Melbourne in 2012–13 were lifted, Melburnians continued This year’s consumption of 404,260 was 161 litres compared to 149 litres to conserve water in 2012–13, with million litres is similar to levels last in 2011–12. an average daily consumption of seen without water restrictions in 1,106 million litres per day. This is Melbourne Water met water quality the 1980s (refer to Figure 7 Financial above the 1,004 million litres average targets for E. coli, turbidity, aluminium Year Consumption graph), even daily consumption in the last five and disinfection by-products in though Melbourne’s population years, but significantly lower than 2012–13. We work closely with water has grown by 60%. the 1,320 million litres per day in retailers to consistently meet stringent the 1990s. requirements in the distribution of safe, high quality water. While consumption increased compared to 998 million litres per day in 2011–12, Melbourne’s water supply system is this may be attributable to higher managed according to Hazard Analysis temperatures and drier conditions and Critical Control Point principles. in the 2012–13 summer compared Audits and accreditation are used to cooler and wetter conditions in to ensure quality management from 2011–12. It could also be due to the collection, treatment and distribution replacement of Stage 1 water restrictions to customers. with Permanent Water Use Rules from

Figure 6 1990s Average* 1,320 ML/day Average daily water use for Melbourne Average** 5 years (2006–07 to 2011–12) 1,004 ML/day

Water use (ML/day) Average for 2011-12 998 ML/day

* Based on 8 year average (1 Jul to 30 Jun 1992–1999) Average for 2012-13 1,106 ML/day ** Based on 5 year average (1 Jul 2007 to 30 Jun 2012) 0 300 600 900 1200 1500

Figure 7 600,000 Financial year consumption 480,000

360,000 Consumption (ML/year) 240,000

120,000

0

1951/52 1958/59 1965/66 2072/73 1979/80 1986/87 1993/94 2000/01 2007/08 2012/13

11 Service delivery Water

Figure 8 2012–13 Retail water consumption

37.0% Yarra Valley Water 149,635 ML 34.8% South East Water 140,616 ML 0.1% Gippsland Water 345 ML 25.5% City West Water 103,231 ML 2.6% Western Water 10,433ML

100% Total Consumption 404,260 ML

Water Security Committee Environmental sustainability Water Supply Demand Strategy and Water Outlook Melbourne Water continues to work During 2012–13, Melbourne Water Melbourne Water and the water with water retailers, local councils and supported the development of retailers prepared an annual Water the development industry to maximise Melbourne’s Water Future. Outlook for Melbourne which was use of water sources such as stormwater This strategy adopts a whole-of-water- published on 1 December 2012. and recycled water while balancing use cycle approach to the linked challenges from traditional catchments and dams. The Water Outlook indicates the of securing a safe and plentiful water overall level of water supply system supply, managing stormwater runoff security based on the storage volume Sustainable water use and wastewater discharge, reducing at 30 November each year in relation During 2012–13, Melbourne Water urban flooding, keeping parks and to three zones: high, medium and low. worked with the Victorian Government gardens green, and improving the These zones are used to determine on developing strategies that plan for health of waterways. The previous appropriate water management Melbourne’s water cycle. Water Supply Demand Strategy was measures. Melbourne’s storage reviewed as a key input to Melbourne’s volume was in the high zone as We took the opportunity to make Water Future. at 30 November 2012. a submission to the Victorian Government’s new Metropolitan Sustainable water strategies The Water Outlook outlines a range Planning Strategy, which provides of demand management and supply an ideal opportunity to promote a Sustainable water strategies are augmentation actions for the period, new way of managing and planning intended to secure water supplies including alternative supply projects for the water cycle. for consumption and environmental and water efficiency programs. purposes over a 50-year period. We also worked with the Office of Living Victoria to develop a new approach to The Central Region Sustainable Water urban water planning. This approach Strategy 2006 sets out a series of will be incorporated into the Victorian actions to 2055 to deliver sustainable Government’s Melbourne’s Water water use and management objectives. Future strategy and is founded on an The objectives of this strategy are understanding of the entire water cycle addressed through Melbourne’s Water and its drivers: geography, topography, Future. For more information on location of community assets, hydrology, Melbourne Water’s role in balancing economics, climate and demography. consumption and environmental needs, It is expected both the Metropolitan refer to the Alternative water sources Planning Strategy and Melbourne’s Water and integrated water cycle management Future will be finalised in 2013–14. chapter and the Waterways chapter.

12 Limiting system losses and implications of a variable climate The Thomson catchment came under and repairing leaks on our business, and to provide serious threat on its western flank climate resilience. with the Aberfeldy fire, and this was Melbourne Water annually reviews followed by a series of lightning strikes the rate of leakage and water loss During 2012–13 we supported the across the Upper Yarra and Thomson from its water supply system in line completion of two Australian Research catchments resulting in a fire within the with Bulk Water Supply Agreements Council Linkage Projects led by the Thomson catchment itself. Melbourne with water retailers, water conservation University of Melbourne which will Water fire fighters were heavily involved targets, our corporate strategic inform water resources planning in defending the catchment. goals and the Essential Service decisions. One project put recent Commission’s requirements. climate variations into a longer-term During the year, strong relationships The scope of this review includes context by providing reconstructions were forged with the Country Fire leaks from pipelines, valves and of historical annual rainfall, stream flow, Authority (CFA), Department of fittings, aqueducts, tank cleaning, temperature and pressure variations Environment and Primary Industries and operational water usage for data for south-eastern Australia. The (DEPI), Parks Victoria (PV), the State cleaning and other purposes. A number second project analysed recent climate Control Centre and the Fire Services of other losses are not included, such patterns and assessed the range of Commissioner. This enabled Melbourne as reservoir evaporation, dam seepage uncertainty in projected annual rainfall Water to quickly alert all parties to the and environmental flows. and river flows under climate change. serious threat posed to the water supply catchments by the Thomson fires. The Melbourne Water also supported Melbourne Water did not meet its Fire Services Commissioner realised the the Water Services Association KPI target of less than 1% of transfer serious risk and responded proactively. losses in total water delivered during of Australia’s ‘AdaptWater’ project. 2012–13 (recording 1.14%). This was Through this project a tool was In the autumn post-fire season, a planned due to water quality issues at the developed that assists in the burning program was undertaken to Tarago Treatment Plant, requiring quantification of climate risks minimise the bushfire risk in the water large volumes of water to fix, and to assets and enables comparison supply catchments, with Melbourne leakage from the Tyabb Service of potential adaptation options. Water assisting DEPI and PV to achieve annual targets. Two successful planned Reservoir, among other factors. Working groups have been established burns were conducted on Melbourne within Melbourne Water and with A renewal project is already programmed Water land at Silvan and Sugarloaf water retailers to set direction and for Tyabb in Water Plan 3 (2013–14 to reservoirs with the CFA. 2017–18) so it is not economically feasible review climate change adaptation to repair the leak beforehand. However, activities. In 2012–13, we reviewed Office water use Melbourne Water has made significant our climate information needs and water savings through operational adaptation activities, and we commenced Melbourne Water did not meet changes to the Winneke to Preston Water an external review of the Climate its office water use target in Main to reduce cleaning requirements. Change Risk Register. 2012–13. Consumption was 3,594 litres per full-time employee (FTE) Melbourne Water continues to reduce Protecting our catchments per year compared to a target of and better account for water loss in the from bushfire 3,177 litres per FTE. trunk water network through a variety of means such as: aqueduct lining and Although Melbourne Water is not This was mainly due to commissioning improved flow measuring technologies; a statutory fire fighting authority, issues with our new head office, resulting a dedicated in-house pipe repair crew; we have a legislated responsibility to limit in more potable water use instead of cathodic protection of tanks and the occurrence and spread of fire from rainwater and stormwater. This included pipelines; flow meter validation/salt our land to neighbouring properties. commissioning issues with water tanks trials; and other best practice asset Melbourne Water is also involved in fire and excessive use of water for cooling management activities. prevention and suppression to protect the building’s sewage pumps. These issues vulnerable built and natural assets have now been resolved and we have Adapting to a variable climate as well as water supply catchments. a new building management system (software application) that alerts us when Climate variability has the potential In the lead-up to the 2012–13 summer, more water is being used than expected. to impact on water, sewerage, drainage preparations were made for what was and waterway systems managed by forecast to be an average bushfire season. In terms of office space, corporate water Melbourne Water. Climate variability Preparations included maintaining more use equates to 183.3 litres per square can have a significant impact on than 2,400 kilometres of roads and fire metre. This data is collected for the 990 hydrology projections, so Melbourne trails, ensuring Melbourne Water’s 100 La Trobe Street, Docklands, head office. Water continues to work with climate fire fighters were physically fit and well researchers, industry partners trained, and ensuring all equipment was and customers to understand the risks checked and ready for use.

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