Victorian households will be slugged an average $10 each to help cover the cost of the state's largest ever desalinated water order, prompted by a dry summer.
The 125 gigalitres order will be used to underpin the state's 2019-2020 supply after Melbourne's average water storage levels dropped below 55 per cent.
"The only thing that's going to be able to increase significantly our water storage is the desalination order," Water Minister Lisa Neville told reporters on Monday.
The record requirement was first flagged a fortnight ago by Ms Neville and the initial plans for 100 gigalitres were increased after bushfires in and around catchment areas impacted the benefit of run-off.
The order will cost about $100 million, but Ms Neville said measures had been put in place to minimise the cost to households, including water companies absorbing a share.
It will cost homes about $10 on average, spread across the year.
Ms Neville said the government was not looking to introduce stage three water restrictions as seen during the millennium drought, because they do not save much water and crippled business.
Instead, people were asked to find savings where they can in the home, including reducing showers by a minute.
The orders could become an annual event if more rain doesn't flow into catchments, Ms Neville warned.
Melbourne's water storages have had below-average inflows in 18 of the past 20 years on top of significant population growth.
The state government also recently announced it would pipe water from Melbourne to Geelong over the next three months to bolster supply to the regional city.
Australian Associated Press
