Desal water to pour into storages at their highest level since the 1990s

An extra 15 billion litres of desal water will flow into Melbourne storages already at 86 per cent capacity.

An extra 15 billion litres will be pumped into Melbourne water storages after the Andrews Government locked in an $11m desalination plant order.

But households will be spared extra cost of living pain, with Water Minister Lisa Neville declaring the price – worth about $4 for an average household – won’t flow through to bills.

The decision to top up dams with desal water is contentious, given storages are at their highest level for this time of year since the 1990s — almost 86 per cent full.

This year’s bare minimum order is much less than the 125 billion litres pumped from the Wonthaggi facility over the past nine months, however, at a cost of $77m.

The order decision comes after the Victorian coalition this week pledged that if elected in November it would not to pay for desal water unless storages dipped below “secure” levels – or 60 per cent full.

The 15 billion litre water order is the bare minimum, at a cost of $11m. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Ms Neville said Melbourne had experienced below average inflows to storages in 16 of the past 20 years, but after “one good year” of rain authorities advised a significantly lower desal order than the 125 billion litre they forecast a year ago.

“This year’s smaller order of 15 GL means we can maintain secure supplies and keep water bills stable – so Melbourne’s water bills remain equal lowest in Australia,” she said.

Water authorities’ advice to Ms Neville forecasts an extra 75 billion litres will be needed in each of the following two years.

The desal plant costs about $570m to service each year, with the cost of each year’s water order added to that bill.

Ms Neville said climate change would continue to impact storages, so it was important to keep a good buffer and minimise the likelihood of restrictions or large orders in future, which could lead to bill shock.

She told the Herald Sun that efficiencies achieved by water corporations this year meant the cost of the order would not be passed through to customers.

Ms Neville also said without desal water topping up dams in recent years storages would have dipped to just under 62 per cent full, and that other investments were being made to boost supplies including by using more recycled water and stormwater.

The minister said the advice she received didn’t forecast any deluges like those experienced by NSW, and there was no spillage from storages despite high dam levels.

Opposition water spokeswoman Steph Ryan said the government has now spent more than $200 million on desalinated water Victoria did not need.

“Any way you look at it, this is forcing unnecessary costs onto Melburnians,” Ms Ryan said.

“If there’s enough revenue in the water authorities to be placing these orders, it means they are charging customers too much.

“Unnecessary costs are the last thing Victorians need when they are struggling to recover and rebuild after lockdowns.”