A second desalination plant could be built west of Melbourne and the current facility at Wonthaggi upgraded as Victoria considers ways to shore up the state’s water supply.

Permanent water saving rules, which currently regulate the use of hoses, garden watering systems and fountains, would also be reviewed by a water security taskforce discussing options to protect drinking water supplies amid surging population growth and increased pressure on reserves from climate change.

The contentious proposal to build another desalination plant, at an undecided location, is based on government modelling that estimates that Melbourne, Geelong and towns connected to the “south-central water grid” will need an extra 95 gigalitres (95 billion litres) of water annually by 2030.

“Many states across Aust

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