▁diver ts ▁Snow y ▁River ▁flows ▁from ▁its ▁own ▁catch ment ▁to ▁the ▁Murray ▁Dar ling ▁Bas in ▁in ▁earlier ▁dec ades . ▁This ▁source ▁supplies ▁ 2 , 1 0 0 ▁GL ▁of ▁water ▁for ▁generating ▁power ▁and ▁providing ▁ir rig ation ▁water . ▁This ▁comp ares ▁with ▁the ▁ 7 5 ▁GL ▁cont ested ▁water ▁sav ings ▁to ▁be ▁di vert ed ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁Bas in ▁for ▁urban ▁use . ▁ ▁The ▁population ▁of ▁Metropolitan ▁Melbourne ▁is ▁approaching ▁four ▁million , ▁account ing ▁for ▁ 7 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁the ▁State ▁of ▁Victoria . ▁ ▁Although ▁most ▁people ▁in ▁Victoria ▁live ▁in ▁Melbourne , ▁the ▁city ▁only ▁uses ▁ 8 % ▁of ▁the ▁reg ulated ▁surface ▁water , ▁the ▁major ▁portion ▁going ▁to ▁ir rig ation ▁supply . ▁As ▁of ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁Melbourne ' s ▁water ▁stor ages ▁were ▁less ▁than ▁ 3 0 % ▁full ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁on set ▁of ▁the ▁d rier ▁summer ▁period . ▁This ▁situation ▁had ▁generally ▁w ors ened ▁over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁previous ▁twelve ▁years . ▁In flow s ▁into ▁Melbourne ' s ▁stor ages ▁over ▁that ▁twelve - year ▁period ▁aver aged ▁almost ▁ 4 0 % ▁less ▁than ▁the ▁previous ▁long - term ▁average . ▁ ▁As ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁consumption ▁in ▁Melbourne ▁was ▁about ▁ 4 5 0 ▁GL ▁/ year . ▁With ▁decre asing ▁in flow s ▁to ▁its ▁water ▁catch ments ▁and ▁continu ing ▁population ▁growth