Sydney: Statement details
Below-average rainfall for the majority of the year contributed to lower runoff across the region compared to the previous year. Storage volumes at 30 June 2017, however, only decreased by 4% from last year, primarily due to heavy rainfall and high streamflows across the region during March 2017.
For further information on the region's water accounting statements scroll down this page or click on the links below:
Water assets
- Water asset volumes in the region at 30 June 2017 were 2,693,396 ML, more than 99% of which is water held in storages; less than 1% is inter-region claims and water held in rivers.
Storages
Figure S1 Total storage volume in the region at 30 June 2017 compared with the previous 7 years
- Storage volumes decreased from 98% full at 30 June 2016 to 94% full (2,687,524 ML) at 30 June 2017.
- At the end of February 2017, storage volumes had decreased to 86% full; however, heavy rainfall and high streamflows during March 2017 contributed to storages being 94% full by the end of the year.
Figure S2 Percentage-full volume on 30 June 2017 for each storage
- Most of the storages were more than 80% of capacity at 30 June 2017.
- The volume of water in Warrangamba Reservoir contains more than 70% of the total surface water storage in the region.
- More detailed information on the individual storages within the region is available on the Bureau of Meteorology's Water Storage website.
Inter-region claims
- Inter-region claims refer to the volume of allocation remaining on licence entitlements associated with the Fish River Water Supply Scheme at the end of the 2016–17 year.
- The inter-region claim at the end of the reporting year does not change from year to year.
- A more detailed description of the Fish River Water Supply Scheme is provided in the Region description.
Water liabilities
- Water liabilities in the Sydney region refer to the volume of allocation remaining on licence entitlements at the end of the 2016–17 year for individual users.
| Volume (ML) |
|
| Opening balance at 1 July 2016 | 0 |
| Allocation | 159,394 |
| Allocated diversion | (18,545) |
| Adjustment and forfeiture | (140,849) |
| Closing balance at 30 June 2017 | 0 |
- The water supply licences for the region have a water management year that ends on 30 June. The portion of water allocation that has not been abstracted at the end of the water year is either forfeited or is carried over into the next water year.
- As the carryover cannot be quantified, the unused portion of the allocation is assumed to be forfeited and the allocation remaining at the end of the year was 0 ML.
- A more detailed description of water allocations and associated water rights in the Sydney region is given in the Water rights note.
Water asset increases
- Total water asset increases for the region was 5,147,143 ML.
- The key item contributing to water asset increases for the region was runoff, which made up 85% of the total water asset increases. Runoff was 11% less than the previous year, which reflects the below-average rainfall experienced across the region for the majority of the year (see Climate and water).
- Urban water system increases represent wastewater collected, which generally changes little from year to year.
Water asset decreases
- Total water asset decreases for the region was 5,423,688 ML.
- The key item contributing to water asset decreases for the region was outflow, which made up more than 70% of the total water asset decreases. Outflow was less than the previous year, which reflects the below-average rainfall experienced across the region for the majority of the year (see Climate and water).
- Urban water system decreases primarily represents supply system delivery: urban users and discharge: sea. The volume of wastewater discharge to sea changes little from year to year; supply system delivery to urban users has generally increased slightly each year over the last five years (see Water stores).
Water flows
- Total water inflows to the region was 5,139,021 ML which differs slightly from the volume of Water asset increases (5,147,143 ML). Total water inflows includes the volume of water delivered under an inter-region claim; total water asset increases includes the actual inter-region claim.
- Total water outflows from the region was 5,434,111 ML, which differs from the volume of Water asset decreases (5,423,688 ML). Total water outflows includes the flows corresponding to the accrual transactions—allocated diversions. Total water asset decreases includes the forfeiture of inter-region claims (see the Water liabilities section above).
- A detailed description on all the water inflows and outflows associated with the surface water store and the urban water system is provided in the Water stores note.
Unaccounted-for difference
- The unaccounted-for difference is the volume necessary to reconcile the opening water storage and closing water storage with the total water inflows and total water outflows reported in the water accounting statements.
| Volume (ML) |
|
| Opening water storage balance at 1 July 2016 | 2,821,555 |
| Total inflows | 5,139,021 |
| Total outflows | (5,434,111) |
| Closing water storage balance at 30 June 2017 | (2,691,029) |
| Unaccounted-for difference | 164,564 |
- The unaccounted–for difference volume is primarily attributed to the fact that river losses cannot be quantified in the account, as well as uncertainties associated with the runoff estimate (see Methods).