OLYMPIC marathon runner Steve Moneghetti was almost brought to tears yesterday when Premier John Brumby announced Lake Wendouree would be full by late next year."I'm just so emotional. The lake is the heart and soul of Ballarat and it will be returned to its former glory," said Moneghetti, who earlier this year described the dry lake as "a joke".Premier Brumby and Water Minister Tim Holding were in Ballarat yesterday to announce a $1.3 million commitment towards a new solution to pipe 1700 million litres of water from a Ballarat bore directly to the lake, which has been dry since December 2006.Mr Brumby and his minister joined community and business leaders and lake user groups from the region at the Ballarat Yacht Club to make the much-anticipated commitment.Yesterday's announcement follows months of campaigning by user groups and concerned members of the community to have the lake refilled as quickly as possible.Mr Brumby, who described Lake Wendouree as the heart of Ballarat, said the new project to fast-track filling the lake meant that regardless of rainfall and stormwater run-off, water would begin going into Lake Wendouree from September, with boats able to return to the water from the middle of next year. It will provide the lake with the largest ever permanent source of water.Under the new project, the state government will fund the piping of an additional 1700 million litres of water, more than double the combined amount of water currently available for the lake from other sources. It will be piped from the Ballarat West Bore directly to Lake Wendouree.The project involves extending a pipe from the Ballarat West Water Treatment Plant to the lake as a temporary measure and the construction of a new 800-metre pipeline directly from the bore to the lake."Like many people in Ballarat, and indeed across the state, I want to see Lake Wendouree once again become part of the social heart of this great city," Mr Brumby said."We want to get water back into this lake again. We want to see people fishing and boating on the lake again. When we think of Ballarat, we think of Lake Wendouree ... for generations it has been such a great place for families and a major attraction for tourists visiting this region."Restoring the (lake's) water supply is so important for Ballarat's economy, it's important for morale, it's important for tourism and it's important for the city's heritage."Mr Brumby described yesterday's announcement as the right solution "so that even in dry years people will be able to enjoy the lake". "I know it has taken some time to find the right solution, but I believe we will now have the right mix of recycled, stormwater and groundwater sources in place to fill Lake Wendouree and ensure that it continues to be a great place for families in years to come."Supporting Mr Brumby's sentiments, Mr Holding said the $180 million Goldfields Superpipe had secured Ballarat's water future and it was now the right time to return Lake Wendouree to its former glory."... the Goldfields Superpipe has allowed Ballarat's water restrictions to be eased to stage 3, with Central Highlands Water investigating easing restrictions further, which means further investment can be made to fill Lake Wendouree," Mr Holding said.