Where’s the water?

JUNE was dry according to both Warburton rainfall recorder Keith Thomas and his Healesville counterpart Alma Mitchell.
In Warburton Mr Thomas recorded only 65.5mm, just slightly better that half of the average of 118.9mm. For the first six months of the year the tally was 303.5mm far lower than the average of 577.6mm.
“Looking back over Warburton’s records, which have been kept since 1879, the only year when we have received a lower “January to June inclusive” rainfall was in 1967 and that year, we received 290.4mm,” Mr Thomas said.
He said in 1922 it ran close with 308.mm. Mrs Mitchell recorded 58.6mm on 22 days compared with 74.6mm in June last year over 19 days.
According to Yarra Valley Water while household use across Yarra Ranges Shire was cut by 267 million litres in the quarter November ’08-February ’09 compared to last year, Healesville and Warburton were two areas where use increased.
Yarra Valley Water managing director Tony Kelly said the period was traditionally a time when water consumption tended to peak. Healesville increased by 24 litres a household per day and Warburton-Millgrove by 17 litres.
‘It’s fantastic that many suburbs were able to reduce their water usage over summer compared to the year before, particularly when you consider the extreme hot and dry weather we experienced during this time that led to the devastating February bushfires,’ Mr Kelly said. ‘The challenge is to remain vigilant with our water saving efforts and bank the savings during the cooler months, to ensure our storages are in a good position come next summer. Storages are only 26 per cent full, which is still around 4 per cent lower than this time last year,’ he said.