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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

This content has been updated and moved to WA.gov.au

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

This content has been updated and moved to WA.gov.au

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.

Licensing Show Sub Nav
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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Legislation Show Sub Nav
Current legislation

This content has been updated and moved to WA.gov.au .

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.

Urban water Show Sub Nav
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.

Maps & data Show Sub Nav
Maps

Monitoring and data

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  • Assessing waterway health
  • Ecotoxicity
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  • Waterways
    • What are waterways, rivers, estuaries and wetlands?
    • Values of our waterways
    • Threats to our waterways
    • Assessing waterway health
      • Estuary water quality assessment
      • Estuary sediment quality
      • River water quality assessment
      • South West Index of river condition
      • Foreshore condition and assessment
      • Ecotoxicity
      • Phytoplankton
      • Catchment nutrient reports
    • Managing our waterways
    • Vasse Geographe Strategy
  • Estuaries
  • Onshore petroleum and water resources
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Ecotoxicity

Ecotoxicology is the study of toxic effects caused by natural or man-made substances on biota. Through ecotoxicology we are able to determine the levels and types of contaminants that cause harm to animals and plants. This can be done for individuals, entire populations and/or communities of organisms exposed to contaminants in the environment (e.g. through stormwater or wastewater discharge). Ecotoxicology provides insight into ecosystem health that cannot be determined from the measurement of chemicals in the environment alone. Mussels are often used for ecotoxological assessments

The Department of Water uses ecotoxicology to determine the potential impact of a contaminant or mixture of contaminants in sediments and water on organisms such as fish, invertebrates and algae living within a waterway. This allows us to predict the effects of contaminants known to exist in a waterway so that measures to prevent or remediate any detrimental effect can be applied. It also enables us to determine which specific contaminant(s) from a complex mixture may be responsible for an observed environmental impact.

Understanding the potential toxicity of contaminated sediments and surface water both within and entering our rivers and estuaries will assist the Department in assessing river health and estuarine health and may also be linked to fish kills.

Ecotoxicological techniques have recently been applied by the Department of Water in the Swan and Canning Estuaries and the Peel Harvey.

Ecotoxicology can also be used in determining the suitability of wastewater and stormwater for recycling.

An ecotoxicology laboratory analysis setup

Page last updated - 19 May 2022
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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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