As of the start of February, storage levels are at 68.1 per cent, well above the 50 per cent threshold for turning on the pipe which was constructed in 2008. The last time it was turned on was in 2015-16.

Ballarat’s largest water supply at White Swan Reservoir sits at 70.3 per cent capacity, while Central Highlands Water’s (CHW) share of Lal Lal Reservoir is at 76.8 per cent,

CHW General Manager Customer and Community Jacqueline O’Neill said water savings measures, despite a 1.8 per cent growth in population in the last 12 months, had seen usage over summer to date sit around the same level as last year,

“(CHW) has permanent water entitlements in the northern Victorian water system and is connected to these supplies via the Goldfields Superpipe constructed in 2008,” she said.

“Due to appropriate local water reserves in recent years, CHW has not required the pumping of water via the Superpipe, hence we have not incurred any additional costs.”

Ms O’Neill said the trigger is normally around 50 per cent, but is heavily dependent on the season and rainfall forecasts. “We normally wait until spring to consider if needed. Some (of our 15) systems have reserves such as underground water that we can also use,” she said.

The water authority has in place a series of measures it plans to put in place over five, 15 and in the long term to secure water supply as the city heads towards a 200,000 population by 2050.

Among these strategies are increase recycled water production capacity at the Ballarat North waste water treatment plant and explore supply network expansion in northern Ballarat and develop storm water harvesting schemes for Victoria Park, Alfredton Reserve and Doug Dean Reserve within the next five years.

More medium term measures include design storm water drainage to water street trees in new developments and the harvesting of storm water for open space irrigation.

Long term it hopes to undertake a flow and water quality study of the Yarrowee/Leigh river systems and undertake further investigations into options that are capable of reducing large volumes of run-off and discharge to waterways among other initiatives.

“CHW produces an annual Water Security Outlook to inform customers and the community each year in December that looks at climate, growth and the status of water supplies for all our 15 separate water systems across our region,” Ms O’Neill said.

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