The volume of water stored in underlying aquifers was not recognised as a water asset as it could not be adequately quantified.
The Western Australian Department of Water maintains a limited number of monitoring bores across the Ord region. Groundwater is extracted under licence from localised underlying fractured rock aquifers in the upper Ord River Basin. An expansion of the monitoring bore network, and improved understanding of aquifer extent, aquifer properties and groundwater processes are required to adequately quantify the volume of the aquifers across the region.