Merrimu Reservoir
Merrimu Reservoir, located west of Melbourne near Bacchus Marsh, is a quiet recreational area offering picnic facilities.
The reservoir provides drinking water to local towns and irrigation water to the Werribee Irrigation District. Water levels can vary throughout the year.
Hours of operation
The Merrimu recreational area is open from 8.30am to 4.30pm daily.
Facilities and what to do
Merrimu Reservoir is a great place for a picnic.
Facilities at the recreation area include:
Not permitted
While visiting our facilities you are not permitted to:
- camp or stay overnight
- have fires or fire pits
- leave rubbish - all our sites are carry in carry out zones
- reserve any picnic areas
- drive or ride motorbikes along the shoreline our in fenced areas
- enter prohibited areas
- vandalise the facilities
- hunt, carry or discharge a firearm
- ride or walk horses anywhere, including in the water
Request to hold events
From time to time, people wish to hold events at our recreational facilities including festivals, birthday parties and weddings. We cannot close or our recreational facilities for private events and you can not book sites.
You must have permission to hold any organised entertainment, rally, boating event or regatta, festival, public meeting, training class or demonstration, wedding or similar ceremony, or private functions for 30 or more people.
Please email us to with your request in writing.
Location
Merrimu Reservoir is located on Pyrites Creek, a tributary of the Werribee River, 10kms north-east of Bacchus Marsh and approximately 50kms from Melbourne – VicRoads Reference Map 328 J6
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WaterMatch - online trading
Watermatch is a free online service, designed to help people trade water.
Once you have registered, you can advertise to buy or sell water.
Depending on the water that you wish to trade, choose from the Groundwater, Surface Water (rivers and creeks) and Irrigation District forum.
Select a new topic to create your ad. Your ad can be to buy or sell water, and must describe the source of your water, quantity of water you want to buy or sell, how long you want to trade for and your contact details. If you are happy to put a buying or selling price, this can be included here too.
If you want to respond to an ad, you can use the email link or contact the advertiser direct.
It is an online trading forum, and can also be used by people who are not on the internet, with help from our staff.
Watermatch allows you to register your interest in either buying or selling water in southern Victoria.
- the Macalister, Werribee and Bacchus Marsh Irrigation District
- Groundwater systems in southern Victoria
- Rivers and creek systems in southern Victoria (other than those managed by Melbourne Water around the Port Phillip region).
Who can use it?
Anyone can use watermatch. You may be an existing licence holder who wants to sell water, or buy more water.
You may not currently have a licence, but you want to buy water in the region.
How does it work?
- click here to enter Watermatch
- register as a user (a very simple process)
- go to the system or district you are interested in and check current entries
- add in any entry for any water you want to sell or buy
What information should I include in my ad?
- If you are wanting to buy or sell
- your name
- phone number
- name of river, creek, groundwater management area or irrigation district
- how much water is to be traded
- If the trade is temporary or permanent
- term of the trade (Maximum term is 5 years)
Things you need to know
We are always looking for ways to improve our customer service. If you would like to provide feedack or suggested improvements please click here.
it's important to note that Southern Rural Water is not acting, and will not act, as a water broker.
We cannot advise you on price of water or match you individually with a buyer/seller.
Buyers and sellers still need to go through our normal application process.
Trading applications must be submitted to Southern Rural Water and approval granted before water is taken. A water transfer application form can be downloaded from our application page.
If you want to trade upstream, please speak with one of our Assessment Officers prior to submitting an application.
To check if a buyer or seller can trade with you, call us on 1300 139 510 and ask to speak to an Assessment Officer.
Not a water broker
It's important to note that Southern Rural Water is not acting, and will not act, as a water broker.
We cannot advise you on price of water or match you individually with a buyer/seller.
Buyers and sellers still need to go through our normal application process.