National Water Account 2018

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Key findings

Climate and water

Water Accounting Statements

Supporting information

Region description

Reference information

Adelaide: Statement details

Water assets

Surface water assets

• Surface water asset volumes in the Adelaide region at 30 June 2018 were 92,399 ML, more than 99% of which is water held in storages.

Figure S1 Total storage volume in the region at 30 June 2018 compared with the previous 6 years

• Storage volumes decreased from 56% full at 30 June 2017 to 47% full (92,175 ML) at 30 June 2018. This is the region's first annual decrease in storage in three years.
• The end of year storage volume at 30 June 2018 was the lowest since 2013.

Figure S2 Percentage-full volume on 30 June 2018 for each storage

• Storage volumes peaked in early-September at 90% full following high rainfall during July–August 2017, and then declined for the remainder of the year.
• 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 from inter-region sources at the end of the 2017–18 year.

• Water supply from the River Murray is the primary source of water supply outside the region boundary.
• Unused water remaining at the end of the year is forfeited as entitlement conditions do not allow carryover of unused water, resulting in a closing balance of 0 ML.
• A more detailed description of inter-region water sources for the Adelaide region is given in the Region Description.

Groundwater assets

• Groundwater asset volumes in the Adelaide region at 30 June 2018 were 86,356 ML (see Groundwater store note).
• The asset volume includes groundwater extraction limits and the non-licensed groundwater extractions described by each water allocation plan. It does not change from year to year, unless the water allocation plan is amended.
• Volumes of water stored in the aquifers cannot be quantified due to a lack of available data; however, information on the total annual change in aquifer storage is available.

Figure S3 Total change in aquifer volume in the region at 30 June 2018 compared with the previous six years

• Below-average rainfall for most months of the year contributed to an annual decrease in aquifer storage.
• The large increase in aquifer storage last year was due to well above-average rainfall across the region during most of the year.

Irrigation scheme assets

• Irrigation scheme asset volumes consist of an inter-region claim to River Murray water. The claim is facilitated by a Class 3a water access entitlement (for irrigation purposes) held by Barossa Infrastructure Limited to shares in the River Murray.

• Unused water remaining at the end of the year is forfeited as entitlement conditions do not allow carryover of unused water, resulting in a closing balance of 0 ML for the irrigation scheme claim on inter-region water.

Water liabilities

• Water liabilities in the Adelaide region refer to the volume of allocation remaining on licence entitlements at the end of the 2017–18 year.

• The surface water licences in the Adelaide region have a management year which ends on 30 June.
• The Barossa Prescribed Water Resources Area licensees for the North Para River and tributaries may carry over the unused portion of their allocation.
• A more detailed description of water allocations and associated water rights in the Adelaide region is given in the Water access and use note.

Water asset increases

• Total water asset increases for the year was 906,121 ML.
• The key item contributing to surface water asset increases for the region was runoff, which made up more than 42% of the total surface water asset increases. Runoff was less than average, and much less than last year, due to the below-average rainfall across the region during most of the year (see Climate and water).
• Groundwater increases primarily represents recharge: landscape. Recharge was less than last year, reflecting the relatively poor rainfall and streamflow conditions across the region during most of the year (see Climate and water).
• Key items contributing to urban water system increases represents claims: surface water and wastewater collected. The volume of wastewater collected within the Adelaide region changes little from year to year. Desalinated water use is similar to last year, but has generally fluctuated since the initial commissioning and testing of the Adelaide Desalination Plant (see Urban water store note). 
• Delivery of recycled water represented 50% of all irrigation scheme increases. Barossa Infrastructure Limited's inter-region claim on the River Murray increased from last year in response to the region's drier conditions.

Water asset decreases

• Total water asset decreases for the year was 802,190 ML.
• The largest item contributing to water asset decreases for the region was outflow. Outflow was less than average, and much less than last year, due to the below-average rainfall across the region during most of the year (see Climate and water).
• Supply system delivery: urban users and recycled water delivery: irrigation increased from the previous year in response to the drier conditions in the region.

Water flows

• Total water inflows to the region was 805,938 ML, which differs from the volume of Water asset increases (906,121 ML). Total water inflows includes the volume of water delivered under inter-region claims; total water asset increases includes the annual allocation for inter-region claims.
• Total water outflows from the region was 865,110 ML, which differs from the volume of Water asset decreases (802,190 ML). Total water outflows includes the flows corresponding to the accrual transactions—allocated diversions and allocated extractions. 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 associated with the surface water store, groundwater store, urban water system, and irrigation scheme are 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.

• The unaccounted-for difference value is primarily attributed to uncertainties associated with the runoff estimate.