The Department of Water is the key agency responsible for water resource management in Western Australia. We oversee legislation that provides for the regulation, protection and use of water within WA.
One of the pieces of legislation we manage is the Rights in Water & Irrigation Act 1914. Under this Act, you may be required to hold a licence to take water. A licence contains a number of conditions, including how much water you can take on a yearly basis. It is our responsibility to ensure compliance with licence conditions and with the requirements of the Act. If compliance cannot be achieved, then we focus on enforcement.
The Department has a Compliance and Enforcement Unit (CEU) that is responsible for developing policies and strategies to manage compliance with water use. The CEU also provides support to our regional offices, who are responsible for managing water licences and implementing our policies and strategies.
The methods that we use to achieve compliance are grouped into the following three categories:
- Encouraging and assisting compliance
- Audits, compliance monitoring and water use inspections
- Enforcement
We are available to provide advice and help to achieve licence compliance. We do compliance surveys to check that licensees are using water in accordance with their licence conditions. If compliance cannot be achieved through these mechanisms then we will carry out investigations and may take enforcement action.
Compliance and enforcement during the dry season response
The western and southern parts of WA have just had the driest winter on record. Low rainfall means less run-off into streams and dams, and less water recharging our groundwater aquifers, from where you access your water supply.
It is very important that licensed and unlicensed users of groundwater and surface water are using water efficiently, responsibly and lawfully, including in accordance with licence conditions where applicable.
What do we want you to do?
If you are a licence holder:
- Check your licence and make sure you understand all the terms and conditions. If you need a copy of your licence or do not understand any of the terms and conditions, please contact your local regional office.
- If you have a water meter, and are required to submit readings, make sure you are taking readings and submitting them in accordance with your licence conditions.
- Stay within your annual water entitlement. If you have a meter, check how much water you have used so far during your water year, and think about if you need to reduce your usage to make sure you remain within your annual entitlement.
- If you don't have a water meter, make sure that you are not using water for any purpose or area of crop, other than what is stated on your licence.
- Think about the efficiency of your water usage and irrigation system.
If you don't have a licence, make sure you are only using water in accordance with the daytime sprinkler bans. If you think you may need a licence, contact your local regional office to find out more about the process. Click here for a list of regional offices.
What will we be doing?
- There will be an increased on-ground presence of compliance officers doing property visits and surveys during the summer period through to April 2011. Officers will be visiting properties to speak with licensees, survey water use, check meter readings, monitor daytime sprinkler bans and ensure that operations are in accordance with conditions on licences.
- The CEU is developing a compliance monitoring program of metered water use to make sure meter readings are being submitted to the department, and that licensees are not using more water than they are allowed.
- The CEU will be doing thorough audits of selected licensees to assess compliance with all aspects of their licence including water use.
For more detailed information about the dry season response click here.