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Government of Western Australia Department of Water and Environmental Regulation
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Home Show Sub Nav
Planning for the future Show Sub Nav
Finding water Finding Water

Finding new water resources, including Royalties for Regions-funded programs and other drilling programs to explore resources across the state.

 Water allocation plans Photo from consultation for the Gingin groundwater allocation plan

Information about allocation plans, which set out how much water can be reliably taken from groundwater and surface water sources for productive purposes while ensuring the sustainability of the resource and protection of the water-dependent environment.

 Meeting demand 1.3.1 Crop irrigation

Information about ensuring sustainable water supplies for the state’s population and industries, including the Water for Growth and Water for Food programs.

 Rural water support Rural Assistance

Click here to apply for rebates and grants for farmers, pastoralists and rural communities to improve local water supplies and for information about assistance to help farmers access water during dry seasons.

 Flood planning and mapping Meeting demand

Information, advice and management of flood plans based on flood behaviour research and floodplain mapping for the state's major rivers.

 Water and land use planning Narrows Bridge

Integrated water and land use planning based on the principles of total water cycle management.

 Innovation

The Department of Water invites you to share your ideas on creating innovative solutions to water challenges.
Licensing Show Sub Nav
Water licensing Water Licensing

Licences and how to apply, licensing policies, forms to download and answers to questions frequently asked by current and prospective licensees.

 Water trading Water Trading

Find out who is eligible to trade water entitlements and how applications are assessed. Click here to identify potential trading partners from the Water Register.

 Metering and measurement

Metering and measuring the water you take helps you understand your water usage to make the most of your entitlements and reduce your overall costs.

 Water licensing fees

New fees for water licence and permit applications are being introduced to the mining and public water supply sectors from the 13 November 2018, post
Legislation Show Sub Nav
Current legislation Current Legislation

Current legislation for which the Department of Water assists the Minister for Water. Click here for current WA legislation.

 Water reform

We are updating our policy and legislation to deliver water resource management legislation that is flexible, progressive and capable of managing water today and in the future.
Urban water Show Sub Nav
Water services Water Services

Legislation and policy for Western Australia’s water service providers.

 Urban development Urban Development

Planning and managing water to enable growing, liveable water smart towns and cities.

 Drinking water Mundaring Weir

Protecting and managing public drinking water source areas including policies relating to public drinking water source areas, water source protection plans, water quality strategies and management and review processes.

 Recycling and efficiency Recycling

Information about wastewater recycling, water efficiencies and the use of fit-for-purpose water. Recycling is encouraged whenever it is socially, economically and environmentally acceptable to make smart use of waste water for the ongoing development of the State.

 Bores Domestic Garden Watering

Garden bores are small domestic groundwater bores for private garden irrigation. Click here for more information about your garden bore, licence exemptions and being ‘bore water-wise’ in your garden.
Water topics Show Sub Nav
Groundwater Ground Water

Information on the state’s groundwater resources, locations, investigations, aquifer recharge and sustainable management of water resources, including an overview of state groundwater investigations.

 Surface water Surface Water

Surface water, like rivers and streams used for public water supply, self-supply, irrigation, recreation and hydropower and rainfall and streamflow monitoring, catchment modelling and flood studies to manage surface water.

 Water quality Water Quality

Click here for information about water quality, including public drinking water source areas, salinity, brochures, fact sheets and best management practices for various land uses and activities to help protect water quality and public health.

 Waterways Rivers and Estuaries

Rivers and estuaries and their importance including information on monitoring and assessing waterways, protecting, understanding, planning, restoring, and risks and threats.

 Estuaries

There are 166 estuaries in Western Australia as established through the National Land and Water Resources Audit (NLWRA) 2000, where an estuary is defined as

 Irrigation Irrigation

Click here for information on types of irrigators, licenses and the role of irrigation as an economic enabler for industry.

 Onshore petroleum and water resources 5.6 Shale_and_tight_gas.jpg

Information on the department’s role in relation to the shale and tight gas industry.
Maps & data Show Sub Nav
Maps Maps

A detailed collection of online atlases and maps with information on the State’s water resources, including depth to groundwater, garden bore suitability, geology and proclaimed management areas.

 Monitoring and data Data logger hut

Information and reports collected from the department's extensive State-wide monitoring network, which are provided free for water management, state development and research purposes.
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  • Home
  • Planning for the future
    • Finding water
      • Groundwater Investigations
        • Perth Region Confined Aquifer Capacity (PRCAC) study
        • Regional Water Availability and Water for Pilbara Cities Groundwater Investigation Programs
        • State Groundwater Investigation Program
        • Shallow groundwater system
        • Mapping water availability in the Albany Hinterland
    • Water allocation plans
      • How we develop water allocation plans
      • How we protect our environment
      • How we manage water resources in a changing climate
        • Climate change impacts on the South West
        • Climate trends - Kimberley
        • Climate trends - Pilbara
        • Climate trends - Central West
        • Climate trends - Central
        • Climate trends - South West
        • South West water resources
      • North West region
        • Ord River surface water allocation plan
        • La Grange groundwater allocation plan
        • Pilbara groundwater allocation plan
        • Managing Skuthorpe groundwater
        • Water Planning in the Fitzroy
      • Mid West Gascoyne region
        • Carnarvon Artesian Basin water management plan
        • Lower Gascoyne water allocation plan
        • Arrowsmith groundwater allocation plan
        • Jurien groundwater allocation plan
        • Dinner Hill subarea allocation statement
      • Swan–Avon region
        • Gingin groundwater allocation plan
        • Gingin surface water allocation plan
        • Gnangara groundwater areas allocation plan
        • Middle Canning surface water allocation plan
      • Kwinana Peel region
        • Cockburn groundwater allocation plan
        • Rockingham-Stakehill groundwater management plan
        • Murray groundwater allocation plan
        • Peel Coastal groundwater allocation plan
      • South West region
        • Kemerton groundwater subareas water management plan
        • Lower Collie surface water allocation plan
        • Upper Collie water allocation plan
        • South West groundwater areas allocation plan
        • Whicher surface water allocation plan
        • Warren-Donnelly surface water allocation plan
      • South Coast region
        • Albany and hinterland water allocation plan
        • Esperance groundwater allocation plan
    • Meeting demand
      • Water for Growth
      • Water supply planning
      • Water for Food
      • Pilbara Water Resource Assessment
      • Carnarvon Ministerial Advisory Committee
    • Rural water support
      • Community Water Supply Program
      • Emergency farmland water response planning and water deficiency arrangements
      • Farm Water Supply Planning Scheme
      • Farm Water Rebate Scheme
      • Pastoral Water Grants Scheme
      • Management of strategic community water supplies
      • National On-Farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme
        • Frequently asked questions for the National On-Farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme
    • Flood planning and mapping
      • Current river levels and flood warnings
      • Floodplain management and development advice
    • Water and land use planning
      • Land use planning overview
      • Land use planning considerations
      • Better urban water management
      • Lodging requests for advice
      • UNDO Tool
    • Innovation
  • Licensing
    • Water licensing
      • Water licensing in Western Australia
      • Do I need a licence or permit?
      • Exemptions
      • How to apply for a licence or permit
      • Licence amendments and renewals
      • Responsibilities of licence and permit holders
      • Transfers, trades and agreements
      • Making submissions and complaints about the taking of water
      • Compliance and enforcement
      • Water services
      • REFOCUS program
      • Foreign ownership of water entitlements
    • Water trading
      • Water Transactions
    • Metering and measurement
      • Gnangara Meter Handover Project
        • Gnangara Metering Project
      • Meter installation
      • How to read a meter
      • Metering regulations
    • Water licensing fees
      • Water licensing fees FAQs
  • Legislation
    • Current legislation
      • Legislation, regulations and by-laws
      • Department of Water policies and guidelines
      • Water services legislation
        • Drainage works of the Water Corporation
        • Guidelines for infrastructure contributions
        • Water Services Ombudsman Scheme
        • Water Services Code of Conduct
        • Regulatory Gatekeeping Assessments
      • Water resources management legislation
      • Freedom of information
    • Water reform
      • New water resources management legislation
        • Water reform public submissions
        • Why we need reform
        • New ways to manage high use resources
        • Faster licence decision making and trading
        • New approach to water use
        • Six Acts into one
  • Urban water
    • Water services
      • Water service licensing and licence exemptions
    • Urban development
      • Urban water management
      • Urban water design
      • Stormwater
        • Stormwater Management Manual
        • Decision process for stormwater management
      • Urban water planning
        • Murray drainage and water management plan
        • Lower Serpentine drainage planning area
        • Public parkland planning and design guide
      • Drainage for Liveability
        • Drainage for Liveability guidance notes
    • Drinking water
      • Protecting and managing drinking water
      • Proclaiming public drinking water source areas
      • Priority areas and protection zones
      • Drinking water source protection reports
      • Land planning in public drinking water source areas
      • Protecting water quality
    • Recycling and efficiency
      • Water efficiency
      • Water recycling
        • Ecotoxicity Toolbox
      • Non-drinking water systems
      • Managed aquifer recharge
      • Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) Scheme
      • Waterwise community toolkit
        • Non-drinking water sources
        • Wastewater
        • Greywater
        • Rainwater
        • Stormwater harvesting
      • Waterwise Council Program
      • Waterwise golf course program
        • Program participants
    • Bores
  • Water topics
    • Groundwater
      • Understanding Groundwater
      • Northern Perth Basin
      • Groundwater bores in development areas
      • Gnangara groundwater system
    • Surface water
      • Understanding surface water
      • Surface Water Hydrology
      • Sustainable Diversion Limits
    • Water quality
      • Monitoring and Assessing Water Quality
      • Managing Water Quality
        • Understanding Salinity
        • Managing salinity
        • Water Resource Recovery Catchments
        • Effects of mining - bauxite hydrology
        • Forest management and silviculture
        • Wheatbelt drainage
    • Waterways
      • What are waterways, rivers, estuaries and wetlands?
        • Rivers in Western Australia
        • Surfacewater and groundwater interaction
      • Values of our waterways
        • Fish and crayfish
        • Macroinvertebrates
        • Aquatic and riparian vegetation
        • Seagrass
        • Macroalgae
        • Aquatic habitat
        • Western Australia's high value waterways
      • Threats to our waterways
        • Eutrophication (nutrient enrichment)
        • Contaminants
        • Acid sulphate soils
        • Algal blooms
        • Fish kill events
        • Climate change and waterways
        • Altered flow regimes
        • Barriers to aquatic connectivity
        • Erosion and sedimentation
      • Assessing waterway health
        • Estuary water quality assessment
        • Estuary sediment quality
        • River water quality assessment
        • South West Index of river condition
        • Foreshore condition and assessment
        • Ecotoxicity
        • Phytoplankton
        • Catchment nutrient reports
      • Managing our waterways
        • Legislation, policies and guidelines for waterways
        • Considering waterways in planning and development
        • Water Quality Improvement Plans (WQIPs)
        • Waterways management, action and recovery plans
        • Modelling catchments, land use impacts, and management effectiveness
        • Low dissolved oxygen and oxygenation
        • Restoring our rivers
        • River Restoration Manual
        • Urban waterways management and living streams
        • Soil amendments
        • Water notes
        • Waterway protection and management
        • Kent Street Weir refurbishment
      • Vasse Geographe Strategy
    • Estuaries
      • Regional Estuaries Initiative
    • Irrigation
      • Irrigated Agriculture
    • Onshore petroleum and water resources
  • Maps & data
    • Maps
      • Water Information Reporting
      • Perth Groundwater Map
      • Water Register
      • Proclaimed Area Maps
      • Public drinking water source area mapping tool
      • Floodplain mapping tool
    • Monitoring and data
      • Spatial Data Download
      • Water Information Reporting
      • River Level Monitoring
      • Avon Descent river levels
Page last updated - 13 Nov 2014
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The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation was established by the Government of Western Australia on 1 July 2017. It is a result of the amalgamation of the Department of Environment Regulation, Department of Water and the Office of the Environmental Protection Authority. This website/publication may contain references to previous government departments and programs. Please contact the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation to clarify any specific information.

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