Canberra: Statement of Water Flows
- The volume of water in the region's storages decreased during the 2017–18 year.
- This decrease represents the change in water volume in the region's surface water storages, and is the first decrease in end of year storage in five years.
The Statement of Water Flows is provided below and presents the actual water flows associated with the region's water stores during the year, including flows corresponding to the accrual transactions shown in the Statement of Changes in Water Assets and Water Liabilities.
Select comparative year
| 2018 ML | 2017 ML | 2016 ML | 2015 ML | 2014 ML | 2013 ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water inflows | ||||||
| Surface water inflows | 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 |
| Discharge: groundwater* | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 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 |
| Flood return | 462 | 2,190 | – | – | – | – |
| Discharge: urban supply* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | **37 | **66 |
| Discharge: wastewater* | 33,581 | 36,929 | 34,007 | 32,955 | **32,551 | **31,636 |
| Groundwater inflows | 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 inflows | 89,109 | 90,960 | 89,049 | 84,400 | 85,414 | 83,612 |
| Wastewater collected | 36,701 | 40,821 | 38,646 | 37,285 | 36,682 | 35,708 |
| Delivery: inter-region | 210 | 181 | – | – | – | – |
| Allocated diversion: surface water* | 52,198 | 49,958 | 50,403 | 47,115 | 48,695 | 47,838 |
| Total water inflows | 730,250 | 1,111,158 | 1,050,734 | 902,388 | 730,654 | 793,840 |
| Water outflows | ||||||
| Surface water outflows | 503,863 | 976,390 | 805,417 | 695,899 | 536,584 | 578,806 |
| 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 |
| Allocated diversion: individual users | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Allocated diversion: urban system* | 52,198 | 49,958 | 50,403 | 47,115 | 48,695 | 47,838 |
| Groundwater outflows | 1,265 | 1,259 | 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 |
| Allocated extraction: individual users | 830 | **824 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Urban water system outflows | 86,957 | 87,731 | 85,518 | 84,305 | 85,751 | 83,601 |
| 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 |
| Total water outflows | 592,085 | 1,065,380 | 892,211 | 781,265 | 623,223 | 663,427 |
| Unaccounted-for difference | (180,532) | (**39,907) | (**150,507) | (**114,194) | (**65,156) | (**155,253) |
| Water storage | ||||||
| Surface water storage | 236,639 | 279,006 | 273,135 | 265,119 | 258,190 | 215,921 |
| Opening surface water storage | 279,006 | 273,135 | 265,119 | 258,190 | 215,921 | 240,761 |
| Change in surface water storage | (42,367) | 5,871 | 8,016 | 6,929 | 42,269 | (24,840) |
| Closing surface water storage | 236,639 | 279,006 | 273,135 | 265,119 | 258,190 | 215,921 |
| Groundwater storage | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Opening groundwater storage | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Change in groundwater storage | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Closing groundwater storage | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Closing water storage | 236,639 | 279,006 | 273,135 | 265,119 | 258,190 | 215,921 |
* between-store flows and claims
** different to published volume in historical accounts (see Governance section for more information)