Australian Water Information Dictionary
Alphabetical list of items
A B C D E F G H I K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z other
S
/
- saline groundwater
-
Groundwater with a salinity (expressed as Total Dissolved Solids) greater than 3,000 milligrams per litre.
This definition applies to:
- salinity
-
The concentration of soluble salts in a solution, soil or other medium.
Source: eWater Toolkit Glossary
This definition applies to:
- saturated zone
-
The part of the lithosphere where each void space in subsurface material is filled with water, or is saturated, under greater pressure than that of the atmosphere.
Source: Poehls DJ and Smith GJ 2009, Encyclopedic dictionary of hydrogeology, Elsevier Inc., 517 pp.
This definition applies to:
- SE
-
South East / southeast
This definition applies to:
- Seasonal Streamflow Forecast
-
A forecast of total streamflow volumes predicted at a particular gauging station, or for the total of inflowing watercourses into a water storage. The forecast can be for a specific period, ranging from one to several months.
This definition applies to:
- seasonal water assignment
-
For an interim water allocation, a water allocation, a seasonal water assignment or a water licence, means the assignment by the holder of the allocation, notice or licence of the benefit under the allocation, notice or licence to another person, for a water year, of all or part of the water that may be taken under the allocation or notice.
Source: Water Act 2000 (Qld)
This definition applies to:
- section
-
A portion of a cross-section for which velocity is measured or unmeasured.
This definition applies to:
- security licence
-
A permission to use water at a prescribed level of reliability.
High-security licences provide greater reliability for special needs, such as household water, electricity generation, some industry and some perennial high-value crops.
On-channel general security licences have lower reliability, which means that these licence holders—usually irrigators of annual crops—are more susceptible to reductions in water availability.
Related: entitlement security
This definition applies to:
- seepage
-
The infiltration of water from streams, irrigation channels, water storages, farm dams, natural surface water features and septic tanks into the groundwater system. It is a form of surface water–groundwater interaction and groundwater recharge.
This definition applies to:
- seiche
-
Oscillation of the surface of a liquid caused mainly by winds and variations in atmospheric pressure.
Source: AS 3778.1—2009 Clause 2.53 . © Standards Australia Limited. Copied by the Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology with the permission of Standards Australia and Standards New Zealand under Licence 1901-c052.
This definition applies to:
- self extract
-
To take water directly from a water resource for the use of the person who takes the water, but does not include taking water: (a) to provide it to another person, (b) under a stock and domestic right or (c) from an infrastructure operator.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 1. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
This definition applies to:
- septic tank
-
A small-scale, on-site sewage system that is common in areas with no connection to main sewage systems and uses anaerobic processes to break down wastewater.
This definition applies to:
- SEQ Water Grid
-
The SEQ Water Grid was established in July 2008 to connect water supplies and treatment facilities across the South East Queensland region. This provides coordinated management of water resources. See SEQ Water Grid for further information.
This definition applies to:
- serious rainfall deficiency
-
Describes the situation of an area where the total rain received for three months or more is between the lowest five to ten per cent of recorded rainfall for that area.
This definition applies to:
- severe rainfall deficiency
-
Describes the situation of an area where the total rain received for three months or more is within the lowest five per cent of recorded rainfall for that area.
This definition applies to:
- sewer mining
-
The process of recovering water from a wastewater system.
This definition applies to:
- shall
-
Indicates a mandatory requirement.
This definition applies to:
- shallow groundwater evapotranspiration
-
Loss of shallow groundwater to the atmosphere by evapotranspiration, particularly important in the riparian zone. It includes groundwater uptake by vegetation from beneath the watertable but does not include uptake from the unsaturated zone.
This definition applies to:
- shapefile
-
A vector GIS format for storing geometric location and associated attribute information, that lacks the capacity to store toplogical information. It is developed and regulated by ESRI as a (mostly) open specification for data interoperability.
Source: ESRI
Related: Geographic Information System
This definition applies to:
- ship track
-
The displayed route undertaken by an ADCP during a measured transect.
This definition applies to:
- should
-
Indicates a recommendation.
This definition applies to:
- signal to noise ratio
-
A measure used in science and engineering that compares the level of a desired signal to the level of background noise. It is defined as the ratio of signal power to the noise power. A ratio higher than 1:1 indicates more signal than noise.
Synonym: SNR
This definition applies to:
- site
-
A place where observations of the environment are made; typically a physical location where sensors are used to measure the properties of one or more features of the environment (e.g. depth of a river and temperature of the atmosphere).
Synonym: monitoring site
This definition applies to:
- skill score
-
A statistical score used to assess the relative performance (skill) of a model against a reference forecast (e.g. climatology).
Skill Score =(Smod - Sref) / (Sperf - Sref)
Where
Smod = Score for the model forecast
Sref = Score for a reference forecast, e.g. climatology
Sperf = Score for a perfect forecast, usually 0 or 1
This definition applies to:
- snowpack
-
Accumulation of snow and ice on the ground.
This definition applies to:
- SNR
-
signal to noise ratio
A measure used in science and engineering that compares the level of a desired signal to the level of background noise. It is defined as the ratio of signal power to the noise power. A ratio higher than 1:1 indicates more signal than noise.
Synonym: signal to noise ratio
This definition applies to:
- sodosols
-
Soils with an abrupt clay increase down the profile and high sodium content, which may lead to soil dispersion and instability. Usually associated with a dry climate and widely distributed in the eastern half of Australia and western portion of Western Australia.
Source: R F Isbell, 1996, The Australian Soil Classification, CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
This definition applies to:
- SOI
-
Southern Oscillation Index
An index calculated from the monthly or seasonal fluctuations in the air pressure difference between Tahiti and Darwin. See the Climate page on SOI for more information.
This definition applies to:
- soil moisture
-
The water content in the unsaturated zone of a soil profile.
This definition applies to:
- soil permeability
-
A soil property indicating the rate of transmission of water through the soil matrix.
This definition applies to:
- soil sodicity
-
The characteristics caused by the presence of sufficient sodium attached to clay in soil as to effect the soil structure. This reduces infiltration and drainage.
Source: CRC for Soil & Land Management, 1994, Technical note 1: Introduction to soil sodicity.
This definition applies to:
- soil texture
-
The relative amounts of sand, silt and clay particles in a soil. The physical and chemical behaviour of a soil is influenced strongly by soil texture.
This definition applies to:
- Southern Oscillation Index
-
An index calculated from the monthly or seasonal fluctuations in the air pressure difference between Tahiti and Darwin. See the Climate page on SOI for more information.
This definition applies to:
- space time image velocimetry
-
A method to calculate surface velocities from an orthorectified video image. The velocities are used to calculate discharge using the midsection method.
This definition applies to:
- special purpose water accounting report
-
A water accounting report tailored to the information needs of a user able to command this information.
This definition applies to:
- specific yield
-
The storage property for an unconfined aquifer that defines the quantity of water that can be drained from an aquifer under the influence of gravity or extracted by pumping.
This definition applies to:
- spot check
-
A single value check of a measuring instrument or system to confirm that it is within expected tolerance.
A series of spot checks may provide sufficient evidence for verification of a measuring instrument or system.
This definition applies to:
- SST
-
sea surface temperature
This definition applies to:
- stage
-
The water level, typically measured at a water monitoring site.
Synonym: gauge height
This definition applies to:
- stage-area relationship
-
The relationship between the gauge height and the cross-sectional area of the stream.
This definition applies to:
- stage-discharge relationship
-
Curve, equation or table that expresses the relation between the stage and the discharge in an open channel at a given cross-section, for a given condition of steady, rising or falling stage.
Source: AS 3778.1—2009, Clause 1.83. © Standards Australia Limited. Copied by the Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology with the permission of Standards Australia and Standards New Zealand under Licence 1901-c052.
Related: rating
This definition applies to:
- standard deviation
-
The square root of the average of the squares of a set of deviations about an arithmetic mean.
Source: © Macquarie Dictionary Fifth Edition, 2009, Macquarie Dictionary Publishers.
This definition applies to:
- standard test instrument
-
An instrument used to perform calibration tests of monitoring equipment.
This definition applies to:
- State aquifer framework information
-
Any water information in the aquifer framework used by a State.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 1. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
This definition applies to:
- State NGIS information
-
Any water information in a State’s National Groundwater Information System (NGIS) database.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 1. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
This definition applies to:
- State or Territory water rights legislation
-
Precedent legislation for administering water rights in each State or Territory (ultimately vested in the Crown) and applicable to all water within the jurisdiction.
This definition applies to:
- statistical significance
-
A statistical assessment of whether observations reflect a pattern rather than just chance.
This definition applies to:
- stock and domestic water use
-
Use of water for domestic consumption (e.g. drinking, cooking, washing, watering household gardens, filling swimming pools associated with domestic premises) and to water stock on a property. Does not include water used for irrigating crops that will be sold, bartered or used for stock fodder, for washing down machinery sheds, or for intensive livestock operations.
This definition applies to:
- storage
-
A pond, lake or basin, whether natural or artificial, for the storage, regulation and control of water.
Synonym: water storage
This definition applies to:
- storage decreases
-
Outflows from water storages of the region. The value can include all or part of the water storages reported under line item 1.1 Storage.
This definition applies to:
- storage increases
-
Inflows into water storages of the region. The value can include all or part of the water storages reported under line item 1.1 Storage.
This definition applies to:
- storage level
-
The elevation of the water surface in a water storage at a particular time and date, measured relative to a specified datum, typically the Australian Height Datum (AHD). See the water storage diagram for application with respect to water storages.
Synonym: water level
This definition applies to:
- storage system
-
A water storage or group of water storages from which releases and diversions are the main source of water for users within the boundaries of a particular region, normally aligning with a river catchment.
This definition applies to:
- storage volume
-
The volume of water stored at a particular time and date. It excludes the dead storage volume and is therefore the volume of water that can be accessed under normal circumstances without the installation of additional infrastructure.
Related: dead storage capacity
Synonym:
This definition applies to:
- storages – entitlement system
-
Storages which are part of the connected surface water store and contain water yet to be shared within an entitlement system. In the National Water Account, storages managed by organisations to provide water to urban centres are included in ‘storages – entitlement system’ as they are considered to contain water yet to be ‘shared’ or ‘abstracted’, even if not formal entitlement system governs the urban water supply.
This definition applies to:
- storativity
-
The volume of water a confined aquifer will release when the water-level is lowered. Upon the lowering of water-levels in such aquifers, they remain fully saturated so that no dewatering occurs. The water released is volumetrically equivalent to the volumetric expansion of the water and contraction of the pore space. Also referred to as the coefficient of storage.
This definition applies to:
- stormwater
-
Surface runoff from rainfall events that may enter drains, creeks or streams. It can carry contaminants that may cause pollution in watercourses.
Source: Derived from Environment Protection Authority of Victoria, viewed 15 April 2019.
This definition applies to:
- stormwater capture
-
Excess rainfall that is collected after it has run off urban surfaces.
This definition applies to:
- stormwater discharge to sea
-
Stormwater that discharges directly into the sea via a stormwater outflow drain located on the coastline.
This definition applies to:
- stratification
-
The formation of layers in a water body that show differences in temperature, turbidity, pH, nutrients, salinity, dissolved oxygen or light penetration at various depths.
Source: eWater Toolkit Glossary
This definition applies to:
- stream
-
A watercourse and its tributaries. Can be permanent or ephemeral.
This definition applies to:
- stream characteristics
-
Those physical characteristics of a specific stream location that determine the stage-discharge relationship.
This definition applies to:
- stream length
-
Longest distance along the stream from the point of consideration to the most distant headwater source.
Source: Modified from USGS, viewed 4 September 2015.
This definition applies to:
- streamflow
-
The flow of water in streams, rivers and other channels.
Synonym: flow
This definition applies to:
- Glossary for Water forecasts: Seasonal streamflow
- Glossary for Water data: National Atlas of Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems
- Glossary for Water forecasts: Dynamic streamflow
- Glossary for Standards: National Industry Guidelines for hydrometric monitoring
- Glossary for Water status: Water in Australia
- Glossary for Water forecasts: 7-day Streamflow Forecasts
- stygofauna
-
Aquatic animals found in groundwater; sometimes used as a synonym of stygobite.
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 11a water information
-
Level of a watercourse, expressed in metres.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 11. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 11 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 11b water information
-
Discharge of a watercourse, expressed in cumecs.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 11. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 11 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 11c water information
-
Accumulated precipitation depth, including the water-equivalent precipitation depth, expressed in millimetres.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 11. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 11 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 1a water information
-
Level of a watercourse (other than a water storage), expressed in metres.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 2. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 1 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 1b water information
-
Discharge of a watercourse (other than a water storage), expressed in cumecs.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 2. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 1 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 2a water information
-
Ground water level, expressed in metres.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 3. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 2 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 2b water information
-
Ground water pressure, expressed in kilopascals.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 3. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 2 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 2d water information
-
State aquifer framework information
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 3. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 2 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 2e water information
-
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 3. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 2 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 3a water information
-
Level of water in a major storage, expressed in metres.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 4. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 3 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 3b water information
-
Volume of water in a major storage, expressed in megalitres.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 4. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 3 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 3c water information
-
Volume of water released from a major storage, expressed in megalitres.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 4. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 2 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 3d water information
-
Total volume of water delivered to a major storage, expressed in megalitres.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 4. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 3 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 3da water information
-
Volume of water delivered to a major storage from each water source, expressed in megalitres.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 4. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 3 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 3e water information
-
Volume of water in a minor storage, expressed in megalitres.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 4. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 3 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 3f water information
-
A list of major storages owned, operated or regulated by the person required to give the information.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 4. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 3 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 4a water information
-
Accumulated precipitation depth, including the water-equivalent precipitation depth, expressed in millimetres.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 5. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 4 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 4b water information
-
Wind speed (expressed in metres per second), wind direction, and wind run (expressed in kilometres over a specified period).
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 5. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 4 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 4c water information
-
Evaporation, expressed in millimetres per day.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 5. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 4 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 4d water information
-
Global solar exposure, reflected global solar exposure, downward longwave exposure, upward longwave exposure, and net exposure, each expressed in joules per square metre.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 5. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 4 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 4e water information
-
Global solar irradiance, reflected global solar irradiance, downward longwave irradiance, upward longwave irradiance, and net irradiance, each expressed in watts per square metre.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 5. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 4 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 4f water information
-
Dry-bulb air temperature, expressed in degrees Celsius.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 5. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 4 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 4g water information
-
Wet-bulb air temperature, expressed in degrees Celsius.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 5. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 4 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 4h water information
-
Relative humidity, expressed as a percentage.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 5. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 4 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 4i water information
-
Vapour pressure deficit, expressed in millibars.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 5. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 4 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 4j water information
-
Dewpoint temperature, expressed in degrees Celsius.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 5. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 4 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 5a water information
-
Total volume of surface water take in each water management area, expressed in megalitres.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 6. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 5 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 5b water information
-
Volume of surface water take for irrigation networks in each water management area, expressed in megalitres.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 6. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 5 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 5c water information
-
Volume of surface water returned from irrigation networks to a watercourse in each water management area, expressed in megalitres.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 6. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 5 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 5d water information
-
Volume of surface water take (excluding take for irrigation networks) in each water management area, expressed in megalitres.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 6. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 5 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 5e water information
-
Volume of water delivered to a surface water resource through inter-basin transfer (excluding transfers relating to water trades) in each water management area, expressed in megalitres.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 6. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 5 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 5f water information
-
Volume of ground water extracted under each ground water licence, expressed in megalitres.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 6. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 5 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 5g water information
-
Volume of ground water extracted in each water management area, otherwise than under a ground water licence, expressed in megalitres.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 6. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 5 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 5h water information
-
Volume of water delivered to a ground water resource for aquifer replenishment in each water management area, expressed in megalitres.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 6. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 5 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 6a water information
-
Water access rights
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 7. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 6 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 6b water information
-
Trades or leases of Australian water access entitlements and irrigation rights
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 7. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 6 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 6c water information
-
Trades of Australian water allocations
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 7. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 6 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 6d water information
-
Formal announcements of Australian water allocations
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 7. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 6 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 6e water information
-
Permits to operate or construct a minor storage
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 7. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 6 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 6f water information
-
Permits to self extract water from a bore
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 7. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 6 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 6g water information
-
Permits to self extract water from a watercourse
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 7. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 6 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 7a water information
-
Urban water supply information, provided as volumes and expressed in megalitres, of a kind specified for the purposes of this item in the document titled Urban Water Management Information Requirements (see Regulation 1.06).
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 8. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 7 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 7b water information
-
Urban wastewater information, provided as volumes and expressed in megalitres, of a kind specified for the purposes of this item in the document titled Urban Water Management Information Requirements (see Regulation 1.06).
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 8. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 7 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 7c water information
-
Urban recycled water information, provided as volumes and expressed in megalitres, of a kind specified for the purposes of this item in the document titled Urban Water Management Information Requirements (see Regulation 1.06).
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 8. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 7 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 7d water information
-
Urban stormwater information, provided as volumes and expressed in megalitres, of a kind specified for the purposes of this item in the document titled Urban Water Management Information Requirements (see Regulation 1.06).
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 8. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 7 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 8a water information
-
Water use restriction announcements
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 9. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 8 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 9a water information
-
Electrical conductivity of surface water above the tidal limit of a watercourse, expressed in microsiemens per centimetre at 25 °C.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 10. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 9 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 9b water information
-
Electrical conductivity of ground water, expressed in microsiemens per centimetre at 25 °C.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 10. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 9 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 9c water information
-
Total suspended solids concentration of surface water collected above the tidal limit of a watercourse, expressed in milligrams per litre.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 10. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 9 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 9d water information
-
Turbidity of surface water above the tidal limit of a watercourse, expressed in nephelometric turbidity units.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 10. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 9 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 9e water information
-
Total phosphorus concentration of a surface water sample collected above the tidal limit of a watercourse, expressed in milligrams per litre.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 10. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 9 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 9f water information
-
Total nitrogen concentration of a surface water sample collected above the tidal limit of a watercourse, expressed in milligrams per litre.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 10. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 9 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 9g water information
-
pH of surface water collected above the tidal limit of a watercourse
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 10. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 9 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 9ga water information
-
pH of ground water
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 10. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 9 water information
This definition applies to:
- subcategory 9h water information
-
Temperature of surface water collected above the tidal limit of a watercourse, expressed in degrees Celsius.
Source: Water Regulations 2008 Schedule 3 Part 10. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
Related: Category 9 water information
This definition applies to:
- subterranean GDE
-
A water-dependent ecosystem occurring below the surface of the ground within fractured, porous or unconsolidated aquifers, and in caves in both the saturated and vadose zones.
Source: Australian National Aquatic Ecosystem Classification, Subterranean Class – Background briefing note. Aquatic Ecosystems Task Group.
This definition applies to:
- surface area
-
The area of the water surface, typically measured when the water storage is at full supply level.
This definition applies to:
- surface runoff
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Water from precipitation or other sources that flows over the land surface.
In relation to the water resource assessment, surface runoff is the fraction of precipitation that does not infiltrate at the land surface and may be retained at the surface or result in overland flow toward depressions, streams and other surface water bodies.
This definition applies to:
- surface water
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There are multiple contexts for this item
Context 1
Water that flows over or is stored on the surface of the earth.
This definition applies to:
Context 2
Includes: (a) water in a watercourse, lake or wetland and (b) any water flowing over or lying on land: (i) after having precipitated naturally or (ii) after having risen to the surface naturally from underground.
Source: Water Act 2007 Part 1 Section 4, at 8 Febraury 2019. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
This definition applies to:
- Glossary for Water status: Water Market Reports
- Glossary for Water status: Water in Australia
- Glossary for Regulations: Water Regulations
Context 3
Water that flows over or is stored on the surface of the earth. For the purpose of the National Water Account, surface water consists only of water connected, either seasonally or perennially, to the rivers and not yet abstracted for consumptive purpose. It includes water administered by jurisdictions and water stored in surface water storages. It excludes water in off-channel water, urban water systems and irrigation schemes.
This definition applies to:
- surface water access entitlement
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Water access entitlement granted on a surface water resource.
This definition applies to:
- surface water allocation
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Volume of water resulting from an allocation announcement made on a surface water access entitlement.
This definition applies to:
- surface water allocation trade
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A transaction to transfer a surface water allocation from one legal entity to another, with or without change in location of the abstraction point. It includes the volume allocated on a previous tagged trade.
This definition applies to:
- surface water asset
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A region's surface water asset consists of surface water located within the region's boundaries and claims to water that may result in inflows into the region's surface water.
This definition applies to:
- surface water decreases
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Outflows from the region's surface water due to natural processes or diversions, and decrease of claims to water held on behalf of the region's surface water.
This definition applies to:
- surface water entitlement lease
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A transaction to transfer for a specified term a surface water access entitlement from one legal entity to another, with or without change in location of the abstraction point.
This definition applies to:
- surface water entitlement trade
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A transaction to transfer perpetually a surface water access entitlement from one legal entity to another, with or without change in location of the abstraction point. It excludes tagged trade where the trade occurred prior to the reporting period.
This definition applies to:
- surface water features
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Those hydrological features that convey and/or store water over the surface of the Earth; comprising streams, channels and water storages.
Related:
This definition applies to:
- surface water increases
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Inflows into the region's surface water or increase of claims to water that may result in inflows into the region's surface water.
This definition applies to:
- surface water inflows
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Volume of physical inflows to surface water during the reporting period from outside the region or from other stores.
This definition applies to:
- surface water liability
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Water liability relating to surface water.
Related: water liability
This definition applies to:
- surface water liability decreases
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Decreases in the region's surface water liability. It includes adjustment or forfeiture of the obligation to deliver surface water and in-stream use. It excludes diversion of water.
This definition applies to:
- surface water liability increases
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An increase in surface water liability as a result of allocation announcements, etc.
This definition applies to:
- surface water outflows
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Volume of physical outflows from surface water during the reporting period to outside the region or to other stores.
This definition applies to:
- surface water rights
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Water rights granted by a jurisdiction to access the region's surface water.
This definition applies to:
- surface water system
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An area that is hydrologically connected and defined, normally at a higher level than surface water management area, for the purposes of water data reporting.
Related: water system
This definition applies to:
- surficial sediment
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Unconsolidated sediments found at the land surface.
This definition applies to:
- sustainable diversion limit
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The limit on quantities of surface water and groundwater that can be taken for consumptive use from Murray Darling Basin water resources, having regard to environmental, social and economic impacts.
Source: Derived from the Water Act 2007 Chapter 5.05, at 8 Febraury 2019. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to Federal Register of Legislation
This definition applies to:
- sustainable groundwater yield
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The groundwater extraction regime, measured over a specified planning timeframe, which allows acceptable levels of stress in groundwater systems and protects dependent economic, social and environmental values.
This definition applies to:
- sustainable yield
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The level of water extraction from a particular system that would compromise key environmental assets, or ecosystem functions and the productive base of the resource, if it were exceeded.
This definition applies to: