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Government of Western Australia Department of Water and Environmental Regulation
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Planning for the future Show Sub Nav
Finding water

Finding new water resources, including Royalties for Regions-funded programs and other drilling programs to explore resources across the state.

Water allocation plans

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Rural water support

Click here to apply for rebates and grants for farmers, pastoralists and rural communities to improve local water supplies and for information about assistance to help farmers access water during dry seasons.

Flood planning and mapping

Information, advice and management of flood plans based on flood behaviour research and floodplain mapping for the state's major rivers.

Water and land use planning

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Meeting demand

Information about how we work with government, water service providers, industry and communities to identify water demand management and supply options that enable sustainable water use.

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Water licensing Water Licensing

Licences and how to apply, licensing policies, forms to download and answers to questions frequently asked by current and prospective licensees.

Water trading Water Trading

Find out who is eligible to trade water entitlements and how applications are assessed. Click here to identify potential trading partners from the Water Register.

Metering and measurement

Metering and measuring the water you take helps you understand your water usage to make the most of your entitlements and reduce your overall costs.

Water licensing fees

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Current legislation

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Water reform

We are updating our policy and legislation to deliver water resource management legislation that is flexible, progressive and capable of managing water today and in the future.

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Water services Water Services

Legislation and policy for Western Australia’s water service providers.

Urban development Urban Development

Planning and managing water to enable growing, liveable water smart towns and cities.

Recycling and efficiency Recycling

Information about wastewater recycling, water efficiencies and the use of fit-for-purpose water. Recycling is encouraged whenever it is socially, economically and environmentally acceptable to make smart use of waste water for the ongoing development of the State.

Bores Domestic Garden Watering

For information on groundwater, garden bores and waterwise gardens please visit our Be Groundwater Wise website. You can find questions and answers about garden bores,

Drinking water Mundaring Weir

Protecting and managing public drinking water source areas including policies relating to public drinking water source areas, water source protection plans, water quality strategies and management and review processes.

Water topics Show Sub Nav
Groundwater Ground Water

Information on the state’s groundwater resources, locations, investigations, aquifer recharge and sustainable management of water resources, including an overview of state groundwater investigations.

Surface water Surface Water

Surface water, like rivers and streams used for public water supply, self-supply, irrigation, recreation and hydropower and rainfall and streamflow monitoring, catchment modelling and flood studies to manage surface water.

Water quality Water Quality

Click here for information about water quality, including public drinking water source areas, salinity, brochures, fact sheets and best management practices for various land uses and activities to help protect water quality and public health.

Waterways Rivers and Estuaries

Rivers and estuaries and their importance including information on monitoring and assessing waterways, protecting, understanding, planning, restoring, and risks and threats.

Estuaries

There are 166 estuaries in Western Australia as established through the National Land and Water Resources Audit (NLWRA) 2000, where an estuary is defined as

Onshore petroleum and water resources 5.6 Shale_and_tight_gas.jpg

Information on the department’s role in relation to the shale and tight gas industry.

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Maps

Monitoring and data

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    • Water licensing in Western Australia
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Glossary of licensing terms

Allocation limit 

Annual volume of water set aside for licensed use from a water resource

Aquifer

A geological formation or group of formations able to receive, store and transmit significant quantities of water.

Crown

Vested in Her Majesty which is not for the time being dedicated to any public purpose, or subject to any grant, lease, licence, contract, or engagement made by or on behalf of Her Majesty.

Entitlement

The quantity of groundwater permitted to be abstracted by a well licence, usually specified in kilolitres/year (kL/year).

Groundwater

The water that occurs in pore spaces and fractures in rocks beneath the ground surface. Groundwater is contained in the following types of aquifer:

The unconfined aquifer (also referred to as a 'superficial' or 'surficial' aquifer) is the aquifer nearest the surface, having no overlying confining layer. The upper surface of the groundwater within the aquifer is called the watertable.

A confined aquifer is an aquifer lying between confining layers (such as clay, coal or rock) containing water under pressure.

An artesian aquifer is a confined aquifer under hydraulic pressure that causes water levels to rise naturally to the ground surface.

Groundwater and surface water areas

All the boundaries that are proclaimed under the Rights in Water and Irrigation Act and used for water allocation planning and management.

Groundwater resource area

All the boundaries that are proclaimed under the Rights in Water and Irrigation Act and used for water allocation planning and management.

Groundwater resource area: Letter of Undertaking

A letter issued to the applicant stating that a licence will be granted when all the criteria outlined in the letter are met by the applicant (this usually includes proof of legal access).

Hectare (ha)

A surface measure of area equal to 10 000 square metres or approximately 2.47 acres.

Intensive

In relation to stock watering,  intensive (conditions)  means conditions in which the cattle or stock:

  • are confined to an area smaller than that required for grazing under normal conditions
  • are usually fed by hand or by mechanical means.

Letter of undertaking

See groundwater resource area; letter of undertaking

Non-artesian well
A well, including all associated works, from which water does not flow or has not flowed naturally to the surface but has to be raised or has been raised by pumping or other artificial means.

Proclaimed area

Proclamation is a legal process that makes managing water resources the Department of Water's responsibility. In proclaimed areas, under the Rights in Water and Irrigation Act 1914, it is illegal to take water from a watercourse or groundwater aquifer without a licence or a conferred right (e.g. exemption, riparian right).

Proclamation

A legal process that allows the Department of Water to regulate the taking of water in certain areas under the Rights in Water and Irrigation Act 1914.

Spring 

Water rising naturally to and flowing over the surface of the land. This does not include the discharge of underground water directly into a watercourse, wetland, reservoir or other water body.

Sensibly-diminished

Noticeable impact on downstream users or to the environment.

Subarea

A sub-division within a proclaimed groundwater resource area, defined for the purpose of managing the allocation of groundwater resources.

Surface water

Water flowing or held in waterways or wetlands on the surface of the landscape

Surface water resource area

Areas defined by the Department of Water, used for water allocation planning and management, which are generally hydrologic basins or parts of basins.

Take (in relation to water, under the Rights in Water and irrigation Act 1914)

To remove water from, or reduce the flow of water in, a watercourse, wetland or underground water source, including by:

  • pumping or siphoning water, stopping, impeding or diverting the flow of water, releasing water from a wetland, permitting water to flow under natural pressure from a well, permitting stock to drink from a watercourse or wetland or storing water during, or ancillary to, any of those processes or activities.

Taking and diverting water

In relation to water, means to remove water from, or reduce the flow of water in, a watercourse, wetland or underground water source, including by:

  • pumping or siphoning water
  • stopping, impeding or diverting the flow of water
  • releasing water from a wetland
  • permitting water to flow under natural pressure from a well
  • permitting stock to drink from a watercourse or wetland
  • storing water during, or ancillary to, any of those processes or activities.

Unused water entitlement

Part or all of the licensed annual water entitlement that has not been taken (used) for more than three consecutive years, unless otherwise specified in licence conditions or operating strategies or agreed development timeframes.

Watercourse

A river, stream or creek in which water flows in a natural channel, whether permanently or intermittently

Watertable

The saturated level of the unconfined groundwater. Wetlands in low-lying areas are often seasonal or permanent surface expressions of the watertable.

Wetland

A natural collection of water, whether permanent or temporary, on the surface of any land and includes:

  • any lake, lagoon, swamp or marsh; and
  • a natural collection of water that has been artificially altered,

but does not include a watercourse.

Page last updated - 04 Jul 2017
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The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation was established by the Government of Western Australia on 1 July 2017. It is a result of the amalgamation of the Department of Environment Regulation, Department of Water and the Office of the Environmental Protection Authority. This website/publication may contain references to previous government departments and programs. Please contact the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation to clarify any specific information.

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