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National Water Account 2017

Murray–Darling Basin: Statement of Changes in Water Assets and Water Liabilities

for the year ended 30 June 2017

Water availability in the Murray–Darling Basin region increased by 2,356,401 ML during the 2016–17 year. This is the second consecutive annual increase in the region's water availability. The change in water available in the region at the end of the year is represented by the change in net water assets.

 

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The Statement of Changes in Water Assets and Water Liabilities is provided in the table below. The statement presents the changes in water assets and water liabilities that occurred during the year, including accrual transactions (e.g. allocations and forfeitures) and actual water flows, both natural and engineered.

 

 

  2017 ML 2016 ML
Water asset increases
Surface water increases 41,866,711 23,024,867
Precipitation 2,048,689 1,248,850
Inter-region inflow 22,000 0
Runoff 34,932,922 19,091,888
Point return: irrigation 277,177 295,507
Flood return 1,670,952 -
Discharge: urban supply system 0 0
Claims: inter-region 2,647,559 1,761,592
Return flow: environmental purposes 229,298 590,987
Discharge: wastewater 38,114 36,043
 
Groundwater increases 688,236 411,123
Inter-region inflow 2,461 2,553
Inter-region coastal inflow 101 77
Recharge: landscape 680,003 407,340
Leakage: urban system 4,079
Managed aquifer recharge: individual user 1,592 1,153
Other increases 0 0
 
Total water asset increases 42,554,947 23,435,990
Water liability decreases
Surface water liability decreases 538,093 469,876
Adjustment and forfeiture: individual users (90,720) 552,963
Adjustment and forfeiture: urban system 331,518 75,872
Adjustment and forfeiture: environmental purposes 297,295 (158,959)
 
Groundwater liability decreases 1,133,227 951,082
Adjustment and forfeiture: individual users 1,095,301 922,348
Adjustment and forfeiture: urban system 34,767 29,534
Adjustment and forfeiture: environmental purposes 3,159 (800)
 
Total water liability decreases 1,671,320 1,420,958
Water asset decreases
Surface water decreases 27,944,950 15,879,649
Evaporation 4,518,203 3,376,265
Outflow 7,401,000 663,000
Overbank flow 6,562,380 59,546
River and floodplain losses 6,951,514 10,420,954
Diversion: statutory rights 50,861 59,249
Non-allocated diversions: individual users 1,675,241 818,728
Non-allocated diversions: urban system 11,661 12,255
Claims: inter-region 329,000 0
Non-allocated diversions: environmental purposes 154,218 42,246
Conveyance losses for allocated diversions 290,872 427,406
 
Groundwater decreases 304,625 325,067
Inter-region outflow 33 57
Inter-region coastal outflow 1,493 1,700
Discharge: landscape 63,999 85,641
Extraction: statutory rights 239,100 237,669
Non-allocated extraction: individual users 0 0
Allocated extraction: environmental purposes 0 0
Other decreases 0 0
 
Total water asset decreases 28,249,575 16,204,716
Water liability increases
Surface water liability increases 11,703,108 6,418,474
Allocation: individual users 8,321,727 4,473,815
Allocation: urban system 639,522 557,680
Allocation: environmental purposes 2,741,859 1,386,979
 
Groundwater liability increases 2,241,270 2,218,287
Allocation: individual users 2,158,223 2,166,333
Allocation: urban system 73,681 50,681
Allocation: environmental purposes 9,366 1,273
 
Total water liability increases 13,944,378 8,636,761
 
Unaccounted-for difference 324,087 1,013,359
 
 
Change in net water assets 2,356,401 1,028,830