Water saving encouraged as heat puts central Victoria water storages under pressure
Daily water use records across central and northern Victoria were broken multiple times during January with the region enduring consecutive days near or above 40°C.
Coliban Water Managing Director, Damian Wells, said the combination of record breaking heat and the bushfire emergency in Harcourt created an unprecedented challenge for the region’s water network.
“It’s normal to see water use jump during a stretch of extremely hot days as people try to stay cool and hydrated and peaks during the afternoon and evening when residents water their lawns and gardens,” Mr Wells said.
“We were also supporting the bushfire response, including putting emergency management plans in place, working with the CFA to identify water sources like reservoirs and fire hydrants, and assessing and repairing damage to water and sewer infrastructure,” Mr Wells said.
Power outages, damage to the telecommunications tower, the risk of falling trees, and an active bushfire made it challenging for crews to safely restore drinking water.
“Some residents across the region may have experienced drops in water pressure during peak periods as demand surged – particularly in holiday towns such as Echuca and Cohuna,” he explained.
Bendigo set new daily water use records during the heatwave, with locals using 81 megalitres on Thursday 8 January and 84 megalitres on Friday 9 January as temperatures climbed above 40°C. The week prior, when temperatures sat at 26°C, usage was just 51 megalitres – the 33 megalitre jump, enough to fill thirteen Olympic sized swimming pools.
A second heatwave from Saturday 24 January pushed daily use even higher, topping 85 megalitres on both Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 January as temperatures exceeded 43°C during a week of near constant 40°C days.
Castlemaine also recorded a sharp increase in water use, reaching 14.9 megalitres on Thursday 8 January — up from 8.8 megalitres the week before. Usage climbed again on 27 January to 15.9 megalitres.
Kyneton set its own new daily record on the same day with 6.3 megalitres.
To keep up with expected high demand, Coliban Water crews worked around the clock to ensure water treatment plants processed raw water into drinking water at increased rates.
“While we are unlikely to see water restrictions for urban customers this summer, if our water resource position does not improve restrictions may be necessary in some parts of the region next summer,” Mr Wells said.
Permanent Water Saving Rules apply in Victoria at all times. These rules include using a hand-held hose with a trigger nozzle, using drippers and sprinklers only between 6pm and 10am, and using a broom rather than a hose to clean hard surfaces.
“Simple things like a shorter shower, programming appliances to run outside peak times, choosing the half-flush button, and adequately mulching our gardens also help preserve our water supply, and save money too,” Mr Wells said.
“Looking at the data, the drying trend is a reality for our region and one we must prepare for,” Mr Wells explained.
“It’s important we’re ready for the increased demand created by warmer temperatures, lower rainfall patterns, and a growing population.”
Coliban Water’s three reservoirs near Kyneton have a maximum capacity of 69,390 megalitres and are currently at a combined 59% capacity (41,071 megalitres), in comparison to this time last year, capacity sat at 65% (45,017 megalitres).
Coliban Water’s 18% share of Lake Eppalock, totalling 54,837 megalitres, is currently at 36% (19,968 megalitres) compared to the same time last year when it sat at 85% (46,860 megalitres). This considerable reduction reflects water from Lake Eppalock being supplied to Bendigo via the Goldfields Superpipe since late 2024 to help preserve Kyneton’s storages during the dry conditions.
Both the Kyneton storages and Lake Eppalock storage levels are below the seasonal average.
Last updated on 03 Feb 2026