Understanding surface water
While the majority of Western Australia's drinking water comes from groundwater, the state's surface water is an important source of drinking water.
Changes in land use and climate variability can significantly affect surface water resources, so the department manages an extensive network of monitoring and reporting activities - including streamflow monitoring and catchment modelling - to determine the quantity and quality of water within a resource.
The department's ongoing water monitoring schemes, hydrological assessments and flood studies give us a better understanding of Western Australia's wide range of hydrological conditions.
Free online data
- The department collects data from over 300 streamflow gauging stations and 600 rainfall stations throughout the state. River level data is also available from our online database
- Current river level advice is available from the Bureau of Meteorology and the Department of Fire and Emergency Services.