Our water story
Everything you need to know about water in the City of Melbourne.
Why is water essential for liveability? What is the City of Melbourne doing to make our urban water system more sustainable and why are these projects important? How much water do we use?
You’ll find the answers to these questions and many more in the pages below.
What is the water cycle?
The water cycle is the movement of water around the earth.
How does urbanisation impact the water cycle?
The natural water cycle is impacted by buildings and sealed surfaces.
Flooding and defences
How does the City of Melbourne mitigate the three major kinds of flooding?
What is water sensitive urban design?
Water sensitive urban design (WSUD) is an important part of water cycle management. It is an approach that integrates whole of water cycle management into urban planning and design.
Water and climate change
Some of the impacts of climate change will be felt more prominently in urban areas, including heat waves, hotter average temperatures, extreme storm events and flooding.
Water use facts
The municipality of Melbourne covers 3766 hectares at the bottom of the Port Phillip Bay catchment. Three major waterways passing through the municipality: the Yarra River, Maribyrnong River and Moonee Ponds Creek
What water do we manage?
The City of Melbourne is highly urbanised which means it has a variety of land uses, owners and stakeholders.
Select a topic to learn more about water in Melbourne
