LODDON Valley irrigators have been able to place season opening orders without the fear of rationing.
A Goulburn Murray Water spokesperson said orders received between August 1 and the opening of the irrigation season for the last Friday meant that rationing will not be required at this time.
They said it was hard to determine at this stage whether local irrigators would face a second year of rationing during the new season.
“It depends on how much water customers use leading into spring,” they said.
“ Water orders are not significant at this stage but that could change with the weather.
“Goulburn-Murray Water will continue to monitor the situation as necessary.”
Low storage levels had seen GMW raise the possibility of seaon-opening rationing.
An estimated 370 irrigators had been on rationing from early March to April this year, Loddon Valley the only GMW district to be hit with limits.
General manager water distribution services Warren Blyth had said: “Water orders tend to peak in autumn, and we expect that in some parts of our system, orders may exceed what our channel network is capable of delivering.
“If water demand does reach the levels we are expecting, a rationing cycle will help ensure all customers receive a fair supply, based on their delivery share, as we manage congestion,” Mr Blyth said.
Irrigators had been critical of GMW ahead of rations being introduced. Transfer fees and the lack of flexibility and guarantee of regaining delivery share next season were key sticking points at the briefing in Boort.