Water licences, accounts and metering

Water licences

A water licence authorises you to use water in a specific prescribed area. In some prescribed areas, the licence also has conditions you must abide to.

Prescribed areas are managed to ensure water use in that area is sustainable. They are managed under water allocation plans and include the issuing of water licences that provide a water access entitlement to the holder of the licence.

For holders of ‘unbundled’ water rights, such as those with water access entitlement shares for the River Murray, ownership of shares is also endorsed on the water licence. Here, the water licence defines the number of unit shares, consumptive pool to which the shares relate, and class (or type) of entitlement.

Do you need a water licence?

Activities that require you to have a licence vary depending on your region, but typically include underground, watercourse or surface water extracted for:

• irrigation
• industrial
• commercial
• stock and domestic use
• managed aquifer recharge.

How do you get a water licence?

The department issues water licences on behalf of the Minister for Environment and Water.

When a water resource is first prescribed, existing water users can apply for a water licence and be granted a volume of water based on an assessment of their historical or anticipated needs. Licensing stages vary for different prescribed water resources and some water resources may have unallocated water available for future allocation. For specific information about the water licensing process in your region contact your local Landscape Board.

If the licensing process in your area is complete and no unallocated water remains, you may acquire a water licence or allocation on the water market by engaging in water trade.

Transfers of water licences or allocations are subject to rules under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019 and the relevant water allocation plan.

Water accounts

In South Australia, every licence holder has a water account that is assigned a unique number. Water account numbers begin with “A-“, followed by a 6-digit number.

A water account operates similarly to a bank account, but instead of managing money, it manages water allocation. It specifies how much water you have available for use or trade during the current water year, and the sources of your water allocation.

The balance of your water account changes as you use water from the river, dam or aquifer, and these changes are recorded in the mywater portal. The account balance is updated with meter readings and approved water trades.

For example, water accounts can be credited with allocations from various sources, such as:

• annual allocations under a water access entitlement share
• transfers of water allocation
• carryover allocations.

Each source of water allocation is separately identified. New allocations from the same source, such as those resulting from the Minister's regular improvements to the opening (1 July) water allocation, are also specified in the account.

Debits to a water account occur when water is used or transferred out. Water use is determined by:

• meter readings for water use, submitted to the department
• transfers of water allocation.

Water users with a mywater login can check their balances at any time for each of their water licences. It's crucial to ensure that your water account remains in credit, which you can do by understanding your entitlement and allocation and regularly submitting meter readings.