FAQ

QUESTIONS

Why is the government installing meters?
Who will require water meters?
How will the metered water usage data be used?
Is it compulsory for a water meter to be fitted?
Can I refuse to have a meter installed?
What are the advantages of meter installation to me?
What happens if I am found to be using more water than my licensed entitlement?
What happens if I am found to be using less water than my licensed entitlement?
When will I be informed if a meter will be installed on my bore?
My bore has been there for years and is not designed for a meter. What now?
Who owns the meters?
What happens if the meter that is installed is damaged or destroyed?
What happens if I have a meter installed on my bore already?
How regularly are the meters going to be read?
Will metering result in charges for pumping groundwater?
Is the government going to install meters in other parts of the state?

ANSWERS

Why is the government installing meters?

Metering is an important part of a total strategy to ensure long-term environmental and economic benefits by improved management of water use. You need to measure water to be able to manage it. Accurate data collection is the key to managing water effectively.

Installing meters is an indication to irrigators and the wider community of the importance the government places on sustainable water use. It will encourage more efficient and effective water use.

Installing meters is also one of the directions of the National Water Initiative, which Western Australia signed in 2006.

Who will require water meters?

The Gnangara Mound metering project is currently installing meters on bores/wells for licensees on the Gnangara Mound, who have entitlements between 5000 kilolitres per annum (kL/a) and 500 000 kL/a. Installing a meter, can also be a condition placed on a groundwater licence by the Department of Water in the following circumstances:

• when licensees are intending to trade their licensed water allocation to another water user
• when stated in a water management or allocation plan
• when licensees are operating in key environmental areas
• when the licensees need to demonstrate that they are using the resource within their approved entitlements.

How will the metered water usage data be used?

To manage groundwater resources properly it is necessary to have a clear understanding of actual water usage. Knowing exactly how much water is being abstracted will help to:

• provide a better understanding of impacts being experienced due to abstraction
• assess the performance of the groundwater resources
• ensure that licensees are using the resource within their approved entitlements
• validate the current approach of calculating the water entitlements of irrigators (which is based on crop factors for water licensing)
• monitor the actual impacts on the resources of abstracting water
• provide data to forecast future demand
• better define the sustainable limits
• develop benchmarks for water use efficiency.

Is it compulsory for a water meter to be fitted?

Yes, it is compulsory for a water meter to be fitted if you fall within the scope of the Gnangara Mound metering project or if it is a condition on the licence. There are various sections of legislation that allow the Department of Water to enter onto land to install, inspect and read meters. The relevant acts are as follows:

• The Water and Rivers Commission Act 1995 (sections 17 and 18) allows the department to enter land to install meters
• The Rights in Water and Irrigation Act 1914 (clause 46(1)(a) of Schedule 1)
• The Water Agencies (Powers) Act 1984 (section 71 and 83(1a)).

Even though the department has the power to carry out the work, it prefers to work with licensees to ensure that property access arrangements are made before installation. The department will cause as little disruption as possible to irrigation schedules.

Can I refuse to have a meter installed?

The Department of Water has the legal right to install, maintain and read meters on private bores within the scope of the project. Refusing the installation of a water meter will only delay the process. In the case of the Gnangara Mound metering project, the government is covering the cost of the meter and any of the associated pipework. If installing a meter is a condition on your licence and you do not install this meter then the approval of your licence could be jeopardised.

What are the advantages of meter installation to me?

Advantages of installing a meter are:

• you are notified immediately if one bore is using more water than another
• fertiliser application rates are no longer guesswork
• any water gained through water efficiency can be tracked easily and therefore traded

Keeping an eye on how much water is being used, helps to protect the water-dependent environment and can save on pumping power costs.

What happens if I am found to be using more water than my licensed entitlement?

As a licensee there is a requirement to ensure that you comply with the conditions of your licence, which includes the annual water allocation entitlement. You should be aware that it is an offence under the provisions of the Rights in Water and Irrigation Act to take water contrary to your licence.

If through monitoring your meter readings, you identify that there may be an issue in relation to usage or possible over-usage you should contact the department immediately and we will work with you to find more efficient water-use irrigation practices.

If through the reading of the meter, we identify that the annual water usage exceeds the licence entitlement, as a regulatory agency some form of enforcement action will be taken. The level of enforcement action will take into account all of the circumstances that led to the offence.

What happens if I am found to be using less water than my licensed entitlement?

There may be a variety of reasons why you have not used the full amount of your licensed entitlement. The department has a policy entitled Management of Unused Licensed Water Entitlements, which addresses this particular issue. We encourage you to contact the department's Swan-Avon Region on +61-8-6250 8000 for further advice on your specific circumstances.

We encourage licensees to adopt water-use efficiency measures. The water saving strategies implemented by licensees will be considered during our decision-making process.

When will I be informed if a meter will be installed on my bore?

Before installations start in your area, you will receive a letter outlining the project. The metering team will then contact you to arrange a suitable time for one of our officers to meet and discuss the project in more detail.

The department inspects each licensed property to locate and identify each draw-point. A GPS reading of the bore or well is recorded and then tagged with a unique identifier. A water-use survey is also conducted. Details of the infrastructure are recorded and the installation process discussed with the property owner. This information, along with any special requests from the licensee is then forwarded onto the department's contractors, who will advise you on what works are required to fit the meter and the timeframes needed for the work to be carried out. If you wish to make an appointment with a department officer before they contact you, please ring 1800 623 983 or email metering@water.wa.gov.au

If installing a meter is a condition on your licence, you will be given a time frame to in which the meter must be installed.

My bore has been there for years and is not designed for a meter. What now?

For the duration of the Gnangara Mound Metering Project, the department will cover the costs of the meter and any necessary changes to the pipe-work as well. Our contractors are experienced in all aspects of irrigation design, bore/pump installation and retro-fitting water meters onto existing pipe-work. A design of proposed works is provided before installation and pressure tests are conducted before and after the meters are installed. For the department to be assured that the contractors have properly consulted with the licensee throughout the process, construction report forms are to be signed by both parties (contractor and licensee) before we authorise the works.

If the meter being installed is not covered by the Gnangara Mound Metering Project it is the responsibility of the licensee to have the meter installed correctly. Information on installing a meter correctly can be found in Guidelines for Water Meter Installation. Licensing officers often conduct surveys and whether the meter is installed correctly is one of the things that is checked.

Who owns the meters?

In the case of the Gnangara Mound metering project the department owns the meters and the associated pipe-work. If the meter has been installed privately, then the meter is the property of the licensee.

What happens if the meter that is installed is damaged or destroyed?

It is your responsibility to ensure that the meter is safe. Under Regulations 42 and 43 of the Rights in Water and Irrigation Regulations 2000, it is an offence to tamper, or otherwise deliberately damage a water meter.

Any damage to the meter must be reported to the Department of Water on 1800 623 983 or metering@water.wa.gov.au

If we find that the damage was accidental, then the Department of Water will cover the costs of the meter if it is a meter owned by the department.

What happens if I have a meter installed on my bore already?

The Department of Water will inspect the meter to determine if it has been installed in accordance with its requirements, is maintained regularly and is in working order. If we are satisfied with the condition and installation, then a replacement meter will not be necessary.

How regularly are the meters going to be read?

Table 1: Frequency of meter reading

If submitting meter reads is a condition on your licence, then this is something that you will need to arrange with your licensing officer. A common arrangement is to collect meter readings monthly but to submit them annually.

Will metering result in charges for pumping groundwater?

The Government are currently meeting all costs of the Gnangara Mound metering project.

A link to the latest information on the water reform is available here. Alternatively, you can call 1800 734 659 if you require any further information.

Is the government going to install meters in other parts of the state?

Installing meters state-wide was a recommendation of the Irrigation Review Steering Committee. It is also been recommended by the National Water Initiative. The Government of Western Australia is currently considering the recommendations. The Gnangara Mound Metering Project has been granted funding to scope state wide metering. Metering is currently part of the water reform. A link to fact sheets is available at the Western Australia's Water Reform Program website.

Alternatively, you can call 1800 734 659 if you require any further information.