DESPITE recent spring rain boosting storages to the highest levels since November 2007, Coliban Water has warned Macedon Ranges residents against using more water as levels are still low.
The water authority's catchment storages last week were at 16,370 megalitres, or 22 per cent, of their capacity compared with 11,222 megalitres at the same time last year.
Western Water also recorded good inflows into some of its Macedon Ranges reservoirs. Campaspe Reservoir, near Woodend, is now at 86 per cent capacity compared with 31 per cent at the same time last year.
There was 86 millimetres of rain in Woodend in September compared with 26 millimetres last year.
Coliban's Lauriston Reservoir, west of Kyneton, is 51 per cent full while Malmsbury and Upper Coliban reservoirs are at 8 per cent and 12.9 per cent, respectively.
Coliban Water received 6800 megalitres of inflow last month. This is about half the historical average for September inflows, though slightly higher than the 10-year average of 6200 megalitres for September.
Coliban Water's planning and infrastructure general manager Dharma Dharmabalan said the rain was welcome but much more was needed.
"It's good we have got this rain, otherwise we would be in real trouble. But people should realise inflows into our storages are generated by autumn rain that wets the storages and then the winter rain turns into run-off.
"We have not been getting enough autumn rainfall."
He said that from January to June this year there had been no inflow at all into Coliban Water storages.
"It was the rain in September that translated to the sudden jump. We need ongoing rain to continue to turn into good run-off. If we don't get anything in October to November, even if we get some in January and February it won't translate into any run-off."
Dr Dharmabalan said storages were still 78per cent empty.
"People should not be complacent about what they are doing now. They should continue following our water conservation message. The prediction is this summer will be warmer than the last. The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting an El Nino event and we see what is happening to Samoa and Indonesia. There is a lot of change happening in our climate. We need to be very careful how we use our resources."
Western Water managing director John Wilkinson said the good inflows meant Woodend residents now had local water on tap again, rather than being dependent on Melbourne's water storages.
"This saves on both the costs and energy of pumping water from the Melbourne system into ours. Woodend residents are due to be drinking all local water again over the next couple of weeks."
Unfortunately, the recent rains did little to benefit other reservoirs in the region, Mr Wilkinson said.
"The water level in one of the major storage system for our region, the Rosslynne Reservoir at Gisborne has barely moved and it is still at less than 5 per cent capacity." He said the varied results around the region meant residents could not afford to relax their guard against water waste.
Climate meteorologist Harvey Stern, of the Bureau of Meteorology, said there was above-average rainfall across much of Victoria in September.
He said there was still a possibility of an El Nino event and there remained an enhanced likelihood of above-average temperatures and below-average rainfall in the coming months.
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