A welcome rise in storage levels will see water restrictions lifted in Apollo Bay, Marengo and Skenes Creek.

The current Stage 2 restrictions will be lifted on Friday 1 August, with the area to return to the Permanent Water Saving Rules that are in place across Victoria.

Apollo Bay has been on varying levels of water restrictions since early April, following an extended period of extremely dry conditions.

The area experienced its driest 12 months in 86 years, and its second driest 12 months on record, between May 2024 and April 2025.

Storages reached a low of 20.4 per cent on 6 June, before much-needed rainfall helped lift water storage levels back to about 68 per cent.

General Manager Planning, Delivery and Environment Seamus Butcher said the current storage levels and expected rainfall trends were encouraging, with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting a greater than 60% chance of exceeding median rainfall in the 3-month outlook.

However, close monitoring of weather forecasts and the longer-term recovery of supplies will continue through the traditional winter / spring filling season and beyond.

“We really appreciate the community for being efficient with their water use and thank them for their patience and understanding during this period,” Mr Butcher said.

“We’ve had a lot of positive interactions with customers and have been delighted by their willingness to embrace water-saving measures and identify areas of improvement.”

Barwon Water has worked closely with local businesses to deliver a range of water-saving upgrades during the period of restrictions, including:

• Conducting water audits at Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority-managed
• caravan parks in Marengo, Apollo Bay and Skene’s Creek
• Upgrading to new dual-flush cisterns and fixing other toilet leaks at the Apollo Bay Leisure Centre; and
• Providing water-efficient showerheads to Lions, for not-for-profit community housing

The community has also received home audits, repaired leaks, upgraded to more efficient toilet cisterns and washing machines, and accessed free water-efficiency items, such as:

• 111 water buckets
• 93 shower timers; and
• 87 trigger nozzles.

Barwon Water has been carrying out unrelated dam safety maintenance works on Marengo Basin, to ensure it continues to deliver high-quality drinking water into the future.

Preparations are underway to bring the basin back into service, following the works.

Longer-term planning is underway to help create a sustainable and resilient long-term water future for the region.

Our “Apollo Bay: Water Your Say” project is exploring Apollo Bay’s water security, with a

Community Working Group providing valuable local insights and knowledge.

For more information visit www.yoursay.barwonwater.vic.gov.au/apollo-bay-hub