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

This content has been updated and moved to WA.gov.au

Rural water support

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

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

This content has been updated and moved to WA.gov.au

Meeting demand

Information about how we work with government, water service providers, industry and communities to identify water demand management and supply options that enable sustainable water use.

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

This content has been updated and moved to WA.gov.au

Legislation Show Sub Nav
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.

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

For information on groundwater, garden bores and waterwise gardens please visit our Be Groundwater Wise website. You can find questions and answers about garden bores,

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.

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

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

Monitoring and data

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    • 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
  • Estuaries
  • Onshore petroleum and water resources
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Managing Water Quality

Managing the state's water resources requires a significant focus on water quality.

Managing the quality of both surface water and groundwater is vital for sustaining aquatic ecosystems, which is important to protect the considerable diversity of waterways types in Western Australia, the unique biodiversity they support, and the social and economic services they provide to our community.

In Western Australia the main water quality issues in waterways are:

  • Salinisation of     waterways
  • Eutrophication (nutrient enrichment) of waterways
  • Low dissolved     oxygen
  • Acidification of     waterways and shallow groundwater
  • Erosion     and sedimentation of     waterways.

These water quality issues are managed through different tools and processes, for instance:

Salinity     management has been     undertaken in WA for many decades and the Department of Water's main focus     has been on Water     Resource Recovery Catchments. Additional     research has been undertaken to determine the impact of Wheatbelt     Drainage and this     underpins the 'Policy framework for inland drainage'.

In the Darling     Range, the department is a partner in     research carried out under state agreement Acts to manage the impacts of Mining     Hydrology and has     also made commitments under the Forest Management Plan in conjunction     with other agencies.

Water     quality improvements plans are developed to     improve current water quality in estuaries and the rivers and streams in     their catchments, and to prevent additional deterioration.Water quality monitoring

Water     allocation plans manage water licensing (e.g.     abstraction licenses) to maximise the amount of water that can be     abstracted from ground or surface water resources without damaging the integrity of the resource or the environment.  This includes consideration of related     factors such as management of shallow acidification or salinisation.

Catchment     models are developed to     support water quality improvement plans – they quantify the sources of     nutrients flowing into rivers based on land use in the catchment, and are used to predict the impact of management practices on nutrient loads.

River     action plans and river     recovery plans prioritise on-ground works and actions     to improve the health of a waterway,     including improving the water quality.

Remediation     activities such as oxygenation is used to     manage low dissolved oxygen levels in estuaries while soil amendment is used to treat     high nutrient levels in subsoil drainage.

Water     management plans are prepared under the Western     Australian Planning Commission's Better urban water management framework. This incorporates water sensitive urban design (WSUD) principles, including all     aspects of water quality and quantity, to enable water sensitive development.

Water source protection plans are used to manage the quality of drinking water.

Page last updated - 09 Jun 2022
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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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