STAFF employed to protect Victoria's rivers have been sacked even though the Baillieu Government is gouging $117 million a year for waterway environmental projects.

After the Herald Sun revealed the Government was slugging an average $56 from every Victorian household for water environmental projects, Catchment Management Authorities began shedding staff due to budget cuts.

West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority axed 17 staff on Friday, including river management field officers.

The Herald Sun understands other catchment management authorities across the state are poised to announce similar job losses in the coming weeks after being told to slash spending by the State Government.

The action casts doubt on the need for the Baillieu Government's huge water tax slug and its environmental credentials.

Former WGCMA staff told the Herald Sun the

job losses included officers responsible for rehabilitating rivers across West Gippsland - the very projects the Government is supposed to be funding through a massive 67 per cent increase in water environment charges it buried in last month's State Budget.

Opposition water spokesman John Lenders said the job cuts were further proof the government had no plans other than to gouge more money from water customers.

"We are still paying the money - in fact we are paying more - and these guys have lost their jobs,'' he said.

"There are 17 more jobs gone from regional Victoria and they were doing incredible worthwhile things in keeping our rivers clean, keeping flows going and all the things taxpayers are paying to be done.

"It puts to bed completely feeble sentiment the Premier and Water Minister were putting out last week that they are committed to water environmental projects - and they are still pocketing the revenue.

MELBOURNE households have been overcharged by more than $300 million for their water in "an administrative error" that will leave consumers out of pocket for the next five years.

Households have been overcharged by an average of about $177 each for water in 2011 - but Melbourne Water has enraged consumer groups by saying it will take five years to repay the money.

A draft of Melbourne Water's business plan for 2013 reveals that it excessively billed customers by a total of $306 million by charging them for the desalination plant before construction had finished and when it had not yet delivered a drop of water.

The Age believes households serviced by any of the city's three water retailers - Yarra Valley Water, City West Water and South East Water - would be entitled to refunds averaging about $177.

Consumer groups are outraged that rather than returning that money to households immediately, through a reduction in their next water bills, the $306 million will be deducted over the next five years.

Gerard Brody, from the Consumer Action Law Centre, says consumers should have their money returned immediately. ''If consumers have overpaid them then I see no reason why Melbourne Water shouldn't just return that money as soon as possible,'' he said.

''Consumers are currently struggling with the cost of essential services including electricity, gas and water bills and yet wants to hold on to their money.

I doubt ANY gouging by Melbourne Water will be "repayed" - as we know it
The story will go - "we have absorbed FIVE increases, relating to the flow on from the carbon tax"

We SHOULD consult with British private school children, their fathers - and "old grand-dads - more frequently, in the study of drought patterns on the second driest continent on Earth

Not to mention the roles of desalination, recycling and reservoirs in drought proofing Victoria, Australia, for generations to come