en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Victorian Government has announced that desalinated water has been delivered early to Melbourne's Cardinia Reservoir to address the ongoing decline in water storage levels in the metropolitan area.
Despite recent rainfall, Melbourne's water storage levels have fallen below 64%, the lowest in over six years, and have been declining for more than two years.
Under the largest annual order, the Victorian Desalination Plant will produce 150 billion liters of water over the next 12 months to strengthen water supply security for Melbourne, Geelong, parts of Gippsland, and Phillip Island.
The state government stated that the early activation of desalinated water allows it to enter the network sooner and enhance water security ahead of future demand growth. Since becoming operational, the desalination plant has supplied over 500 billion liters of drinking water, equivalent to nearly 28% of Melbourne's total storage capacity.
The state government noted that desalination has become a key component of Victoria's long-term water supply strategy, as it provides a climate-independent drinking water source not reliant on rainfall. Victorian Water Minister Harriet Shing said that this infrastructure has played a critical role in maintaining a reliable water supply.
