Murray–Darling Basin
17.12 Entitled diversion of allocated surface water to urban water system

Supporting information

The volumetric value for the line item for the 2011–12 year was 296,302 ML. The line item represents surface water allocation diversions in urban water systems associated with a number of entitlement classes in the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB) region.

The following two tables provide a summary and breakdown information on surface water allocation diversions in urban water systems within the region. 


Summary of Entitled diversion of allocated surface water to urban water system in the MDB region during the 2011–12 year
Water resource plan area State/Territory  Volume (ML) for the 2010–11 year 
 Code

Name
SW19 Warrego–Paroo–Nebine Qld 0
SW18 Condamine–Balonne Qld 0
SW17 Moonie Qld n/a
SW16 Qld Border Rivers Qld 0
SW15 NSW Border Rivers NSW 445
SW11 Barwon–Darling Watercourse NSW 0
SW12 NSW Intersecting Streams NSW n/a
SW14 Gwydir NSW 1,646
SW13 Namoi NSW 1,110
SW10 Macquarie–Castlereagh NSW 9,277
Sub-total Northern Basin 12,478
SW9 Lachlan NSW 5,071
SW8 Murrumbidgee NSW NSW 27,406
SW7 NSW Murray and Lower Darling NSW 19,964
SW3 Northern Victoria Vic. 43,880
SW2 Vic. Murray Vic. 45,315
SW4 Wimmera–Mallee Vic. 5,641
SW6 Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges SA n/a
SW5 SA Murray SA 94,757
SW1 ACT ACT 41,790
Sub-total Southern Basin 283,824
Total for the region 296,302

 

Details of Entitled diversion of allocated surface water to urban water system in the MDB region during the 2011–12 year
Water resource plan area

Sustainable diversion limit area

State

Entitlement class

 Volume (ML) for the 2011–12 year 

Code

Name
SW15 NSW Border Rivers  SS23 NSW Border Rivers  NSW Local water utility 445
SW14 Gwydir  SS22 Gwydir  NSW Local water utility 1,646
SW13 Namoi  SS21 Namoi  NSW Local water utility 1,110
SW10 Macquarie–Castlereagh  SS20 Macquarie–Castlereagh  NSW Local water utility 9,277
NSW High security – town water supply 0
NSW Sub-total  9,277
SW9 Lachlan SS16 Lachlan NSW Local water utility 5,071
SW8 Murrumbidgee NSW SS15 Murrumbidgee NSW NSW Local water utility 7,637
High security – town water supply 19,769
Sub-total  27,406
SW7 NSW Murray and Lower Darling SS18 Lower Darling NSW Local water utility 1,106
SS14 NSW Murray NSW Local water utility 15,664
High security – town water supply 3,195
Sub-total  18,859
Sub-total New South Wales 64,919
SW3 Northern Victoria SS4 Ovens Vic. Urban–regulated 3,513
SS5 Broken Vic. Urban–regulated 1,222
SS6 Goulburn Vic. Urban–regulated 20,466
SS7 Campaspe Vic. Urban–regulated 15,342
SS8 Loddon Vic. Urban–regulated 3,337
SW2 Vic. Murray SS2 Vic. Murray Vic. Urban–regulated 45,315
SW4 Wimmera–Mallee SS9 Wimmera–Mallee Vic. Urban–regulated 5,641
Sub-total Victoria 94,836
SW6 Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges SS13 Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges SA Urban

–
SW5 SA Murray SS11 SA Murray SA Class 2 – Other urban (country town) water supply 35,727
Class 6 – Metro-Adelaide water supply scheme 59,030
Combined classes urban 0
Sub-total  94,757
SS10 SA Non-prescribed areas SA Urban

–
SW6 Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges SS12 Marne Saunders SA Urban

–
Sub-total South Australia 94,757
SW1 ACT SS1 ACT ACT Urban–regulated  41,790
Total for the region 296,302

 – = no data available

 

Queensland

In Queensland, the resource operation plans (ROPs) distinguish between high and medium priority of supplemented water allocation. The water audit monitoring (WAM) data, which are the data source for the 2012 Account, only distinguish between supplemented and unsupplemented entitlements. Both urban and non-urban supplemented entitlements are included within supplemented entitlement class. Supplemented urban and supplemented non-urban volumes on allocations, diversions and other attributes were received together and not possible to be separated out for two purposes. Therefore, surface water allocation diversions for both urban and non-urban supplemented entitlements are included in line item 17.11 Entitled diversion of allocated surface water to users.     

Toowoomba regional council has entitlements within the Moreton water resource plan area that is within the South East Queensland region. Toowoomba regional council receives water from Perseverance, Cressbrook and Wivenhoe storages (through Cressbrook Reservoir) for urban purposes within the MDB region. This water supplements the Toowoomba regional council's diversions within the MDB region. This transfer arrangement delivers water directly into the Toowoomba regional council's distribution network, which is excluded from the MDB region. The transferred volume 6,165 ML, for the year 2011–12 from Cressbrook and Perseverance storages is therefore not reported in the water accounting statements for the MDB region.

New South Wales

New South Wales volumes for this line item contain the diversions made under major and local water utility classes as well as the high security town water supply class. Water use for cultural, industrial, research, community and education activities have been categorised as non-urban.  Therefore, related information is included in line item 17.11 'Entitled diversion of allocated surface water to users'.

Victoria

The following table reconciles Victorian diversion volumes.

Reconciliation of allocation diversions within the region – Victoria
Sustainable diversion limit area

WAM volume (ML)

Deduct unregulated urban diversion1 (ML)

Add urban diversions made from channels in gravity irrigation districts (ML)

Total (ML)
Ovens

5,213

1,700

 0

 3,513
Broken

1,222

0

 0

 1,222
Goulburn

17,466

3,107

6,107

 20,466
Campaspe

15,342

0

0

 15,342
Loddon

4,075

738

 0

 3,337
Vic. Murray

42,915

267

2,667

 45,315
Wimmera–Mallee

5,641

 0

 0

 5,641
All

91,874

5,812

8,774

94,836

 

There was no Goulburn allocation diversion transferred to Melbourne via the Killingworth Pump (north-south pipeline) during the 2011–12 year.

South Australia

South Australian urban diversions include the Metro-Adelaide and the South Australian country town allocation diversions. The diversions to Metro-Adelaide are part of the River Murray entitlements and are pumped from within the MDB region to Adelaide.

Australian Capital Territory

The line item includes regulated diversions made from the Murrumbidgee River for urban purposes.

 

Quantification approach

Data source

(1) New South Wales Office of Water's Water Accounting section; (2) ACTEW Water: production records; and (3)  Murray–Darling Basin Authority: WAM data received from Queensland (4 February 2013) South Australia (15 March 2013) and Victoria (21 March 2013). WAM data are stored in the Murray–Darling Basin Authority HYDRO database.

Provided by

Bureau of Meteorology (the Bureau).

Method

  • The New South Wales Office of Water supplied data are prepared on a water balance approach. It implies that the movement of values during the year will balance the opening and closing balances. The forfeitures and adjustments have been checked to ensure that the closing balance reconciles.
  • ACTEW Water supplied volume was based on metered volumes diverted from the Bendora, Corin, Cotter and Googong reservoirs together with the volume diverted from the Murrumbidgee River.
  • The other data supplied for this line item result from an estimate based on user meter readings.

Assumptions, limitations, caveats and approximations

  • Uncertainty reported for diversion at the abstraction point account for possible errors in the data collection process.
  • The estimates of accuracy of the diversion are indicative accuracy of diversions at the abstraction point on the river only.

 

Uncertainty information

WAM uncertainty percentages
Percentage  (%)

Accuracy description
5 Metered diversions
10 Estimate based on user meter readings
20 Detailed estimate based on regional surveys
40 Estimate based on user returns

 

The following table outlines the WAM uncertainty percentage for each entitlement class for each jurisdiction.

 

Uncertainty percentages for each class within jurisdiction
State/Territory Entitlement class  Uncertainty (%)
Qld Condamine–Balonne 5
Qld Border Rivers 5
Qld Moonie

n/a
Qld Nebine

n/a
Qld Warrego 5
Qld Paroo

n/a
NSW Combined New South Wales regulated data  reliability 10
Vic. Broken 5–10
Vic. Goulburn 5
Vic. Campaspe 5
Vic. Loddon 5
Vic. Ovens 5
Vic. Murray 5–10
Vic. Wimmera–Mallee 5
SA Class 2 and Class 6 5
ACT All classes 5

Comparative year

This line item corresponds to line item 17.12 'Surface water allocation diversion – urban water system' reported in the 2011 Account.