Sydney: Future outlook
Future prospects
This section looks forward 12 months and considers what water assets, claims and commitments might affect the region's water resources.
Table N27 shows that there is a surplus of available water assets over water liabilities and future water commitments that are expected to be settled within 12 months of the reporting date.
| Volume ML | |
| Total water assets at 30 June 2015 | 2,667,786 |
| less water assets not available to be accessed, taken or delivered within 12 months of the reporting date: | |
| dead storage | 108,471 |
| less total water liabilities as at 30 June 2015 | 0 |
| Subtotal | 2,559,315 |
| less future commitments expected to be settled within 12 months of the reporting date: | |
| expected surface water allocation diversion (urban water system) | 550,000 |
| expected surface water allocation diversions | 34,000 |
| expected diversion of other water allocations and rights | 32,530 |
| Surplus/deficit of available water assets over water liabilities and future commitments expected to be settled within 12 months of the reporting date | 1,942,785 |
The expected diversions and extractions are based on a rounded average of abstractions made during the 2013–14 and 2014–15 years. Actual available storage over the next 12 months will be influenced by a number of factors such as climate, actual diversions and available volume in storages.
For more detailed information about future water and climate predictions, including seasonal streamflow forecasts and short video summaries, please see Climate outlooks on the Bureau of Meteorology website.
Contingent water assets and contingent water liabilities
Contingent water assets
Desalinated water supply to Sydney Water Corporation's distribution system is a contingent water asset. Sydney's desalination plant at Kurnell has the capacity to produce 91,250 ML per year (Sydney Water Corporation 2013).
As no desalinated water was transferred into the Sydney region during the 2014–15 year, the production capacity of desalinated water at Kurnell (91,250 ML) can be considered a contingent water asset.
More details on Sydney's desalinated water supply are provided in Desalinated water in 'Contextual information'.
Contingent water liabilities
There are no contingent water liabilities in the Sydney region.