SUNRAYSIA irrigators say they have "done their dough" over carryover rules which mean they have to forfeit some of their allocation.

Murray irrigators have forfeited 7600 megalitres and Goulburn irrigators have forfeited 900 megalitres so far this season.

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However, the Victorian Government says it would be "unfair" to change the rules.

Grape grower John Paolucci said he lost money by buying carryover water before the current irrigation season, to insure against low allocations.

Many irrigators bought up to 50 per cent of their carryover water, fearful that allocations would only reach 20 per cent.

The allocations on the Murray system have reached 63 per cent.

Under rules introduced for this season, irrigators can only have 100 per cent in their Allocation Bank Account, so they have to forfeit any seasonal allocation over 50 per cent if they bought the maximum amount of carryover.

Five per cent of the carryover is deducted for losses.

"I could have taken the family on a decent holiday for the money I have lost," Mr Paolucci said.

"We've done our dough."

Mr Paolucci bought his water in the four or five months before the mid-June deadline at about $300 a megalitre.

He said at the time, indications from Goulburn Murray Water and Lower Murray Water were that the allocations would not be much more than 20 per cent by February if dry conditions continued.

Mr Paolucci said the forfeited water should be carried over into the 2010-11 season.

"That's not water that we found on the side of the road - we paid for it," he said. "It's being stolen from us."

VFF Sunraysia president John Piccirillo said many people didn't anticipate they would forfeit their water.

"These rules were made on the run to make the most out of the situation," Mr Piccirillo said.

Victorian Farmers Federation water council chairman Richard Anderson said authorities were looking at changing the rules next season so irrigators only forfeited their carryover if the storages overflowed or spilled.

A Department of Sustainability and Environment spokeswoman said the current carryover rules, announced in February last year, had been widely publicised.

"Most irrigators would have been aware of the rules and risks associated with buying water to carry over," the spokeswoman said.

"Changing the rules halfway through the season would be unfair."