About water monitoring
South Australia has a comprehensive monitoring program that helps manage our water resources and ensures that we have enough water for the future.
The department is the lead agency for water monitoring in South Australia. Our water resources monitoring team collects data from 3,645 groundwater sites and 245 surface water sites across the state. The dataset from this monitoring is augmented significantly by data collected by other organisations and water users.
Types of water monitoring
Find out about the types of monitoring we carry out:
Why collect water data?
Water data helps us to understand the quantity, quality, location and condition trends of our water. With this knowledge, the South Australian Government can manage potential impacts on these resources, and ensure there is ready, reliable and sustainable water to support the health of the environment, industry and communities.
Information gathered through water monitoring enables the government to make informed decisions by providing answers to the following questions:
- How much water is there?
- Where is the water?
- What is the quality?
- What are the characteristics of the water resource?
- What trends are evident?
- How much water is being used?
- What is the water being used for?
View a short film about the value of water monitoring:
Access the department's water data.
Helping to deliver the SA Strategic Plan
Our team plays a key role in helping South Australia to reach its strategic goals.
One of just three visions under the SA Strategic Plan’s key priority ‘Our Environment’, is ‘We value and protect our water resources’. There are also several water-related targets under the plan, such as ‘Sustainable water use’, ‘River Murray flows’ and ‘Recycled stormwater’.
To realise the vision and targets, we must know the status and condition of our water at all times.
Also, it is important that our State Water Monitoring Network remains optimal and continues to deliver data that meets the needs of water managers into the future.
For further information, contact us at DEW.ResourceMonitoring@sa.gov.au.
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