Adelaide: Statement of Changes in Water Assets and Water Liabilities

for the year ended 30 June 2021

  • The volume of water in the region's storages decreased slightly during 2020–21, following a slightly increase in the previous year.
  • This increase represents the change in water volume in the region's surface water storages.

Schematic representation of the Adelaide region. Total water inflows during 2020–21 was 867 GL. Total water outflows was 711 GL. Water storage at 30 June 2021 was 5 GL less than the previous year.

The Statement of Changes in Water Assets and Water Liabilities is provided in the table below. The statement presents the actual water flows associated with the region's water stores, as well as the changes in water assets and water liabilities that occurred during the year.

 

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 2021 ML2020 ML2019 ML2018 ML2017 ML2016 ML
Water inflows
Surface water inflows 346,067321,640351,148413,790934,069391,805
Precipitation9,6999,2078,55812,01514,3817,329
Runoff128,295122,76492,899200,858810,773170,411
Discharge: groundwater*73,92173,92173,92173,92173,92173,921
Flood return2,7462,36418,15855,928––
Delivery: inter-region agreement131,406113,384157,61271,06834,994140,144
 
Groundwater inflows 218,810208,446109,27793,825125,638121,144
Inter-region inflow6866228536020
Inter-region coastal inflow9871,3971,4851,3531,0851,300
Recharge: landscape192,628192,628103,66576,966109,055100,839
Leakage: farm dams––––––
Leakage: urban*10,83910,9082,16211,94114,13015,456
Managed aquifer recharge: individual users2,7683,1291,4873,2159643,205
Managed aquifer recharge: urban*527318250297344324
 
Urban water system inflows285,794283,964284,793262,380254,829252,441
Wastewater collected117,648116,035112,392100,803107,13995,637
Non-allocated diversion: surface water*112,68494,183135,71951,33915,478128,010
Allocated diversion: surface water*50,32333,74531,781105,970128,10021,108
Delivery: desalinated water5,13940,0014,9014,2684,1127,686
 
Irrigation scheme inflows16,46431,90837,07826,01320,89230,881
Delivery: recycled water*4,50720,45025,20520,39214,44121,194
Delivery: inter-region agreement11,03210,76511,0514,8015,6838,779
Other increases718414622**620568598
Non-allocated extraction: groundwater*207279200200200310
 
Total water inflows867,135845,958782,296**796,0081,335,428796,271
Water outflows
Surface water outflows 320,576273,809314,921434,977627,079238,803
Evaporation19,30617,49619,32721,67219,48815,705
Outflow107,332100,63296,985186,053459,01870,010
Overbank flow28,21825,46027,37966,603––
Allocated diversion: individual users2,7132,2933,7303,3404,9953,970
Non-allocated diversion: urban system*112,68494,183135,71951,33915,478128,010
Allocated diversion: urban system*50,32333,74531,781105,970128,10021,108
 
Groundwater outflows 122,094121,432142,801137,870116,628132,689
Inter-region outflow221293252269199378
Inter-region coastal outflow1,2461,7723,3211,8901,266932
Discharge: surface water*73,92173,92173,92173,92173,92173,921
Discharge: landscape––––––
Extraction: statutory rights0007,7974341,108
Non-allocated extraction: irrigation*207279200200200310
Allocated extraction: individual users46,49945,16765,10753,79340,60856,040
 
Urban water system outflows235,450262,208249,942260,410249,731250,878
Supply system delivery: urban users128,981140,730138,368141,744123,830134,533
Discharge: sea64,28262,72656,60263,03376,76956,381
Supply system transfer: inter-region0005,8543,7934,771
Recycled water delivery: urban users21,59123,1456,0336,7315,6235,972
Recycled water delivery: irrigation*4,50720,45025,20520,39214,44121,194
Discharge: landscape–121,2651,439582–
Other supply system decreases2,2162,28611,9022,0381,8252,043
Other wastewater decreases2,5071,6338,1556,9418,39410,204
Leakage: groundwater*10,83910,9082,16211,94114,13015,456
Managed aquifer recharge*527318250297344324
 
Irrigation scheme outflows32,98834,77635,62831,85321,87928,815
Delivery32,98834,77635,62831,85321,87928,815
 
Total water outflows711,108692,225743,292865,1101,015,317651,185
 
Unaccounted-for difference(161,012)(146,068)(39,066)**50,324(312,234)137,017
 
 
Change in water storage      
Change in surface water storage(4,985)7,665(62)(18,778)7,8778,069
Change in groundwater storage000000
Total change in water storage(4,985)7,665(62)(18,788)7,8778,069
 
Closing water storage181,373186,358178,693178,755197,533189,656
 
 
Change in water liability
Surface water liability357315(123)(115)168(237)
Allocation remaining: individual users357315(123)(115)168(237)
Allocation remaining: urban system*000000
 
Groundwater liability3,2341,113745(14,111)12,4541,767
Allocation remaining: individual users3,2341,113745(14,111)12,4541,767
Total change in water liability3,5911,428622(14,226)12,6221,530
       
Net change in water assets(2,108)6,237(684)(4,552)(4,745)6,539
 

 

* between-store flows

** different to published volume in historical accounts (see Governance for more information)

Note: quantification approaches used to derive each item volume are provided in the Methods