Water Information Role
Transforming Australia's water resources information
Under the Water Act 2007 the Bureau took on responsibility for compiling and delivering comprehensive information about water resources across Australia.
In 2008 the Australian Government announced an investment programme to secure long-term water supply for all Australians. This included funding the Bureau for 10 years to deliver the Improving Water Information Programme, in conjunction with key water industry stakeholders.
Since 2008 the Bureau has been working closely with data collectors and stakeholders across Australia on accounting standards, data collection, warehousing and management, agreements for sharing and licensing data and upgrades to hydrological monitoring systems.
Together these activities ensure that the water information made available to the Australian public is accurate, current and comprehensive.
Making water information available to the Australian public
A broad range of products and services have been developed to deliver water information to the public and to specialist users in policy, planning, engineering design and water management. These include:
Historical information and trends
- Monthly Water Update
- Water Data Online
- Hydrologic Reference Stations
- Water market information
- National Water Account
- Australian Water Resources Assessment
- Urban national performance report
Current situation
- Water storages
- Water restrictions
Water forecasting
- Flood forecasts and warnings
- 7-day streamflow forecasts
- Seasonal streamflow forecasts
Planning tools
- Australian Hydrological Geospatial Fabric (Geofabric)
- Groundwater information
- Design rainfall estimates
- Climate Resilient Water Sources
Standards
- Water accounting standards
- National Industry Guidelines for Hydrometric Monitoring
- Water Data Transfer Format
All of the Bureau's water information programme products and services are free and can be found at www.bom.gov.au/water. Most can be accessed by all web users, with some specialist products available to registered users only.
What does water information tell us?
The Bureau's water information management products and services can help answer questions such as:
- How is water availability changing over time?
- Who is entitled to use water?
- How much water is being traded?
- How much water might flow downstream in the next week, or the next few months?
- What is the status of our aquifers?
- What is the soil moisture level and how is it changing?
- How are water management and climate influencing availability and use of water?
National collaboration
The Bureau has worked closely since 2008 with Australian, State and Territory governments, agencies and more than 200 water utilities and other organisations to set standards, upgrade hydrological monitoring systems and improve data quality and delivery.
This has resulted in world-first standards, nation-wide practices and a growing capability in monitoring, assessing and forecasting water availability, condition and use. We continue to refine our products and services and add new ones in response to the needs of water information users.
