South East Queensland's Water Grid stood at 82.5% on October 30, 2026, but its practical ceiling is lower than 100%. While Seqwater upgrades its dams, Wivenhoe is held at 90% of full supply, Somerset at 80% and North Pine at 54%. Seqwater says that brings the Grid at full supply down to about 88%.
Lower ceilings, same drought triggers
Seqwater reports monthly on water security when Grid storage falls below 70% and starts its drought response at 60%. Storage fell from 88.8% on January 1, 2025 to 78.6% on December 31, 2025. Lake Macdonald was lowered to 39% in August 2025 for its upgrade, and Seqwater expects that level to stay until the project finishes, indicatively in late 2029 under its August 2026 schedule.
Repairs that return storage
In July 2026 the Queensland Government announced A$545 million over six years to North Pine and Lake Macdonald dams. Restoring North Pine from 54% to 100% would add 99,404 ML; Lake Macdonald would add 4,891 ML. By June 30, 2026, 27 of 54 strengthening anchors were in place at North Pine. Somerset and Wivenhoe, each estimated above A$1 billion, are still in planning.
A desalination plant waiting for a rule change
The Gold Coast Desalination Plant can reach 133 ML a day within 72 hours. It produced 13,951 ML in 2025. A 2025 Seqwater study found merit in running it routinely, raising its trigger from 65% to between 75% and 80% Grid storage, once the Water Security Program is amended.
The full report sets out where Seqwater's raw water comes from, how close demand is to the system's yield, who approves repairs and prices, and which projects reach decisions before 2028. The full report, Water Systems Overview: Seqwater, is available for USD 499 at https://ourfuturewaterintelligence.com/reports/water-systems-overview-seqwater. For a free overview, read the Seqwater Utility Snapshot at https://ourfuturewaterintelligence.com/utilities/seqwater.