Dam levels rise 4 per cent since Thursday, but SEQ Water urges conservation

Southeast Queensland has been drenched in recent days, but the region’s dam operator has warned it’s only given us a few months of extra water.

SOUTHEAST Queensland’s dam operator has urged residents to continue conserving water, despite a wet week giving our reservoirs an extra three months of drinking water.

SEQ Water has reported that the region’s water grid has risen by 4 per cent since Thursday last week from 55.7 to 59.5 per cent.

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“Our grid levels are back to where they were in late November 2019,” a SEQ Water spokeswoman said.

“This additional rain is likely to increase the combined capacity of our drinking water dams to over 60% or more by the end of the week.”

Wivenhoe Dam in November last year. Water levels around southeast Queensland were topped up from rains, with levels back to where they were in November. Picture: File.

The state’s largest dam – Wivenhoe – rose from 42.3 to 44.5 per cent since Thursday.

But SEQ Water has warned residents that the boost hasn’t solved the region’s water woes.

“Further rain is expected through to Friday however there remains significant uncertainty in the forecasts,” the spokeswoman said.

“Hot conditions during December and January are a reminder of how dry our region can be,” she said.

“Since the soil in our drinking water catchments had become so dry, a lot more continuous rain has been needed to saturate the ground and therefore for some of our catchments, such as Wivenhoe, inflows are only now occurring.”