National Water Account 2019

Menu

Key findings

Climate and water

Water Accounting Statements

Supporting information

Region description

Reference information

Adelaide: Water stores

Surface water store

• The volume of surface water in the region decreased marginally from 92,399 ML at 1 July 2018 to 92,337 ML at 30 June 2019.
• The balancing item is more than one third of the closing surface water store and is primarily attributed to uncertainties associated with the runoff estimate (see Methods).

Surface water flows

Figure S4 Water inflows and outflows for the surface water store during the 2018–19 year

• The largest natural water flows were runoff and outflow. Both were well below average due to the dry conditions experienced across the region.
• The transfer of water into the region (delivery: inter-region) from the River Murray more than doubled from last year. This increase was influenced by the low runoff and inflow into the region's storages during the year.

Figure S5 Surface water diversions during the 2018–19 year in the region's water resource areas

• Total surface water diverted in the region was 171,230 ML.
• 98% of the total surface water diversion was for urban supply (comprising allocated and non-allocated diversions) while 2% was for individual users.
• The non-allocated water diversion to the urban system comprises water that was imported from the River Murray and stored within the region's storages. Most of these diversions were from the Happy Valley and Hope Valley reservoirs, located outside of the region's prescribed water resource areas. 
• For a more detailed description of the water usage in the region, and the associated entitlements, see the Surface water rights note.

Groundwater store

• The volume of groundwater in the region is equivalent to the managed aquifer volume, which is the legal extractable limit and, therefore, remains unchanged from year to year.
• The actual volumes of water stored in aquifers cannot be quantified due to a lack of available data; however, the annual change in aquifer storage was estimated from groundwater models.
• The balancing item is primarily attributed to uncertainties associated with the groundwater recharge and discharge estimates (see Methods).

Groundwater flows

Figure S6 Water inflows and outflows for the groundwater store during the 2018–19 year

• The largest groundwater flow in the region was recharge: landscape, which made up 95% of the total groundwater inflows.
• Recharge from landscape was less than average reflecting the relatively poor rainfall and streamflow conditions across the region throughout most of the year (see Climate and water).
• Total groundwater extracted in the region was 65,307 ML.
• More than 99% of the groundwater extraction was for individual users; less than 1% was for the irrigation scheme.
• For a more detailed description of the water usage in the region and the associated entitlements, see the Groundwater rights note.

Urban water system

• The volume of water in the region's urban water system comprises water in the pipe network. As no major pipe network changes were made, this volume is assumed to remain unchanged throughout the year.
• The balancing item is likely attributed to metering inaccuracies, unaccounted losses, and uncertainties in the estimation of certain volumes (see Methods).

Urban water system flows

Figure S7 Water inflows and outflows for the urban water system during the 2018–19 year

Water supply inflows

Figure S8 Water sources used in Adelaide's urban supply system during the 2018–19 year compared with the previous eight years

• Total inflow to the urban supply system was 172,401 ML, around 7% more than last year. 
• The increase in urban supply was influenced by the dry conditions across the region, which resulted in an increase in customer reliance on water from the urban system.
• 97% of the total urban supply was from surface water diversions—allocated and non-allocated. The non-allocated diversions to the urban system comprises water that was imported from the River Murray and stored within the region's storages.
• Low runoff and storage inflows in 2018–19 meant SA Water had to increase its reliance on inter-region water supply from the River Murray to meet urban demand. Inter-region water from the River Murray made up 79% of total urban supply.
• Desalinated water made up 3% of urban supply, similar to the previous two years.

Wastewater and recycled water inflows

• Wastewater collected was 112,392 ML during the 2018–19 year.

Water supply outflows

Figure S9 Outflows from the water supply system

• The majority of water supply outflow was supply system delivery to urban users.
• Approximately 9% of the total outflow from the urban supply system was related to losses.

Wastewater and recycled water system outflows

Figure S10 Outflows from the wastewater and recycled water system

• Approximately 32% of the treated wastewater was recycled, which included recycled water delivery to irrigation and recycled water delivery to urban users.
• Most of the remaining treated wastewater was discharge to sea.

Irrigation scheme

• The Adelaide region's irrigation scheme is represented by three individual systems: Barossa Infrastructure Limited, Willunga Basin Water Company, and the Virginia Pipeline Scheme.

• The volume of water in the region's irrigation system comprises water in the channel network. As no major changes were made to this network, this volume is assumed to remain unchanged throughout the year.
• The balancing item may be due to a number of factors, such as metering inaccuracies and unaccounted losses (see Methods).

Irrigation scheme flows

Figure S11 Water inflows and outflows for the irrigation scheme during the 2018–19 year

• Total inflow to the irrigation scheme was 37,078 ML, similar to last year.
• Delivery of recycled water from the region's urban wastewater system made up 68% of the total supply.