River Murray water users reminded of requirements to remain within allocations
Water users along South Australia’s River Murray are reminded of their long-standing requirement to ensure that they have not used more water than their available water allocation at any time and to submit meter readings to the Department for Environment and Water at the end of each quarter.
Since 2019, compliance action has been taken against water account holders who are found to have taken water in excess of the allocation available on their water account at the end of each quarter, as at 30 September, 31 December, 31 March and 30 June.
This is to help ensure that water can be reliably delivered to all River Murray water users in South Australia and to protect the passage of environmental water through the river system.
DEW’s General Manager Water Licencing, Mike Fuller, said South Australian irrigators are renowned for doing the right thing and water users are encouraged to continue to closely monitor their use throughout the water year and ensure they remain within the allocation available on their water account at all times.
“Water users can submit an online meter reading at any time and elect to receive a water usage advice statement (like a bank statement for a water account) by email or SMS. This helps ensure they are monitoring water use and remaining within their available water allocation,” Mr Fuller said.
“The majority of South Australia’s River Murray users do the right thing and remain within their available allocation.
“Since the introduction of quarterly accounting, analysis to date indicates that only a very small number of these water account holders (less than one per cent) have exceeded the allocation available on their water account at the end of each quarter.
“This change has not affected those water users who operate within the terms of their water account and ensure a credit balance at all times.”
The end of Quarter 1 of the 2020-21 water use year is 30 September 2020. Compliance action will be taken in all instances where the volume of water taken for Quarter 1 is in excess of the available allocation on a water account as at 5:00pm on30 September 2020.
In order for a water trade to be considered for Quarter 1 of the 2020-21 water use year, the application must also be submitted to DEW before 5:00pm on 30 September 2020.
For more information or to access the online meter reading form, please see the DEW website or contact via telephone: (08) 8595 2053 or via email: DEWwaterlicensingberri@sa.gov.au.
