Canberra: Statement of Changes in Water Assets and Water Liabilities
- Water availability in the region decreased by 15% during the 2017–18 year, the first decrease in water availability in five years.
- The change in water available is represented by the change in net water assets.
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.
Select comparative year
| 2018 ML | 2017 ML | 2016 ML | 2015 ML | 2014 ML | 2013 ML | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water asset increases | |||||||
| Surface water increases | 474,120 | 1,016,119 | 957,231 | 815,068 | 643,159 | 707,425 | |
| Precipitation | 14,447 | 21,157 | 14,317 | 13,984 | 13,650 | 11,604 | |
| Inter-region inflow | 116,647 | 273,071 | 356,494 | 360,255 | 205,263 | 200,283 | |
| Runoff | 308,983 | 682,772 | 552,413 | 407,874 | 391,658 | 463,836 | |
| Overbank flood return | 462 | 2,190 | – | – | – | – | |
| Discharge: groundwater* | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Discharge: urban supply* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | **37 | **66 | |
| Discharge: wastewater* | 33,581 | 36,929 | 34,007 | 32,955 | **32,551 | **31,636 | |
| Groundwater increases | 167,021 | 4,079 | 4,454 | 2,920 | 2,081 | 2,803 | |
| Inter-region inflow | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Recharge: landscape | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Recharge: surface water* | 162,545 | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Leakage: urban* | 4,476 | 4,079 | 4,454 | 2,920 | 2,081 | 2,803 | |
| Urban water system increases | 107,911 | 112,002 | 109,646 | 108,285 | 107,719 | 106,774 | |
| Wastewater collected | 36,701 | 40,821 | 38,646 | 37,285 | 36,682 | 35,708 | |
| Delivery: inter-region | 210 | 181 | – | – | – | – | |
| Claims: surface water* | 71,000 | 71,000 | 71,000 | 71,000 | 71,000 | 71,000 | |
| Total water asset increases | 749,052 | 1,132,200 | 1,071,331 | 926,273 | 752,959 | 817,002 | |
| Water liability decreases | |||||||
| Surface water liability decreases | 20,634 | 22,874 | 22,429 | 25,717 | 24,137 | 24,994 | |
| Adjustment and forfeiture: individual users | 1,832 | 1,832 | 1,832 | 1,832 | 1,832 | 1,832 | |
| Adjustment and forfeiture: urban system* | 18,802 | 21,042 | 20,597 | 23,885 | 22,305 | 23,162 | |
| Groundwater liability decreases | 1,707 | 1,631 | 851 | 851 | 851 | 851 | |
| Adjustment and forfeiture: individual users | 1,707 | **1,631 | 851 | 851 | 851 | 851 | |
| Total water liability decreases | 22,341 | 24,505 | 23,280 | 26,568 | 24,988 | 25,845 | |
| Water asset decreases | |||||||
| Surface water decreases | 451,665 | 926,432 | 755,014 | 648,784 | 487,889 | 530,968 | |
| Evaporation | 27,766 | 30,960 | 24,764 | 30,679 | 18,433 | 20,516 | |
| Outflow | 251,294 | 839,432 | 727,659 | 616,452 | 468,263 | 508,738 | |
| Leakage: landscape | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Recharge: groundwater* | 162,545 | – | – | – | – | – | |
| River and floodplain losses | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Overbank flow | 6,963 | 53,617 | – | – | – | – | |
| Diversion: statutory rights | 297 | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Non-allocated diversion: individual users | 2,800 | 2,423 | 2,591 | 1,653 | 1,156 | 1,648 | |
| Groundwater decreases | 435 | 435 | 1,276 | 1,061 | 894 | 1,020 | |
| Inter-region outflow | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Discharge: landscape | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Discharge: surface water* | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Extraction: statutory rights | 435 | 435 | 435 | 435 | 435 | 435 | |
| Non-allocated extraction: individual users | **0 | **0 | 841 | 626 | 459 | 585 | |
| Urban water system decreases | 105,759 | 108,773 | 106,115 | 108,190 | 108,056 | 106,763 | |
| Leakage: groundwater* | 4,476 | 4,079 | 4,454 | 2,920 | 2,081 | 2,803 | |
| Supply system delivery: urban users | 47,187 | 45,244 | 45,241 | 42,694 | 45,489 | 43,949 | |
| Wastewater discharge: landscape | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Urban supply discharge: surface water* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | **37 | **66 | |
| Wastewater discharge: surface water* | 33,581 | 36,929 | 34,007 | 32,955 | **32,551 | **31,636 | |
| Other supply system decreases | 1,613 | 949 | 1,187 | 1,405 | 1,462 | 1,270 | |
| Recycled water delivery: urban users | 71 | 133 | 246 | 128 | 201 | 0 | |
| Other wastewater and recycled water system decreases | 26 | 394 | 380 | **4,203 | **3,930 | **3,877 | |
| Claims: surface water* | 18,802 | 21,042 | 20,597 | 23,885 | 22,305 | 23,162 | |
| Total water asset decreases | 557,859 | 1,035,640 | 862,405 | 758,035 | 596,839 | 638,751 | |
| Water liability increases | |||||||
| Surface water liability increases | 72,832 | 72,832 | 72,832 | 72,832 | 72,832 | 72,832 | |
| Allocation: individual users | 1,832 | 1,832 | 1,832 | 1,832 | 1,832 | 1,832 | |
| Allocation: urban system* | 71,000 | 71,000 | 71,000 | 71,000 | 71,000 | 71,000 | |
| Groundwater liability increases | 2,537 | 2,455 | 851 | 851 | 851 | 851 | |
| Allocation: individual users | 2,537 | **2,455 | 851 | 851 | 851 | 851 | |
| Total water liability increases | 75,369 | 75,287 | 73,683 | 73,683 | 73,683 | 73,683 | |
| Unaccounted-for difference | (180,532) | (**39,907) | (**150,507) | (**114,194) | (**65,156) | (**155,253) | |
| Change in net water assets | (42,367) | 5,871 | 8,016 | 6,929 | 42,269 | (24,840) | |
| Change in net surface water assets | (42,367) | 5,871 | 8,016 | 6,929 | 42,269 | (24,840) | |
| Change in net groundwater assets | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Change in net urban water assets | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Change in net water assets | (42,367) | 5,871 | 8,016 | 6,929 | 42,269 | (24,840) | |
* between-store flows and claims
** different to published volume in historical accounts (see Governance section for more information)