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Sydney: Statement of Changes in Water Assets and Water Liabilities

For the water account period 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025

  • The volume of water in Sydney's storages decreased by 6 GL during 2024-25.
  • This decrease represents the change in water volume in the region's surface water storages.

Schematic representation of the water flows associated with the Sydney region's water stores, as well as the change to the region's water storage during the 2024-25 reporting period.

The Statement of Changes in Water Assets and Water Liabilities provides a detailed breakdown of the actual water flows associated with the Sydney region's water stores over the past six water accounting periods ending 30 June, as well as the changes in water assets and water liabilities that occurred during each reporting period.

To view the Statement of Changes in Water Assets and Water Liabilities, scroll down to the table below.

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 2025 (ML)2024 (ML)2023 (ML)2022 (ML)2021 (ML)2020 (ML)
Water inflows
Surface water inflows 4,613,6927,358,02210,752,10916,713,00211,352,1476,327,089
Precipitation on storages7,2429,8669,99912,56211,0476,691
Precipitation on rivers52,69486,000137,272205,822168,83898,645
Flood return38,33271,810131,959220,025118,81186,221
Runoff4,424,0257,100,34810,374,42616,151,98410,959,1396,058,829
Delivery from outside region3,6813,6813,6813,6811,3712,997
Discharge from users11111111110
Treated wastewater discharge from urban water system*87,70786,30694,761118,91792,93073,706
 
Groundwater inflows 1,577,0741,843,6272,406,4602,895,7542,104,4621,071,247
Recharge from surface water*1,529,7341,795,1812,359,4772,851,4022,063,3931,027,260
Leakage from urban water system*47,34048,44646,98344,35241,06943,987
 
Urban water system inflows1,097,7561,137,6831,135,5291,225,6431,100,9491,074,892
Delivery of desalinated water21,41235,21667,99622,48019,60971,147
Diversion of surface water*539,703521,335465,312503,707510,487467,605
Wastewater collected536,641581,132602,221699,456570,853536,140
 
Total water inflows7,288,52210,339,33214,294,09820,834,39914,557,5588,473,228
Water outflows
Surface water outflows 5,827,0948,600,02713,467,71519,327,55014,895,7827,853,466
Evaporation from storages11,84711,73011,11910,34810,92712,527
Evaporation from rivers43,12250,45161,94473,58554,99839,736
Outflow3,396,5785,741,4089,851,13514,827,18411,434,8185,936,863
Overbank flow264,639434,565682,7141,024,925786,757328,959
Recharge to groundwater*1,529,7341,795,1812,359,4772,851,4022,063,3931,027,260
Allocated diversion to individual users3,1293,7662,5319122,1468,260
Allocated diversion to power generation23,1141,1721,188--
Allocated diversion to stock and domestic174311552,043--
Diversion to the urban system*539,703521,335465,312503,707510,487467,605
Diversion of statutory rights38,16638,16632,25632,25632,25632,256
 
Groundwater outflows 28,35938,02724,2562,59616,91819,914
Allocated extraction to individual users28,35938,02724,2562,59616,91819,914
 
Urban water system outflows1,094,7441,115,0731,136,9581,228,1891,099,1641,085,180
Discharge to sea432,020447,110457,971494,996433,130411,235
Leakage to groundwater*47,34048,44646,98344,35241,06943,987
Other losses10,38210,3769,8929,66110,00610,154
Other wastewater losses11,90532,46035,43975,79931,76832,097
Supply of drinking water to urban customers480,581465,342476,434468,345473,833496,226
Supply of recycled water to urban customers24,80925,03315,47816,11916,42817,775
Treated wastewater discharge to surface water*87,70786,30694,761118,91792,93073,706
 
Total water outflows6,950,1979,753,12714,628,92920,558,33516,011,8648,958,560
 
Unaccounted-for difference(344,254)(460,400)249,849(233,989)1,859,7021,239,393
 
 
Change in water storage      
Change in surface water storage(5,929)125,805(84,982)42,075405,396754,061
Change in groundwater storage000000
Change in urban water storage000000
Total change in water storage      
 
 
Change in water assets claims
Urban water claims000000
Urban water claims on surface water000000
Total change in water assets claims000000
 
Change in water liability
Surface water liability000000
Surface water allocation remaining: individual users000000
Surface water liability to urban water supply*000000
 
Groundwater liability000000
Groundwater allocation remaining: individual users000000
Total change in water liability000000
Net change in water assets(5,929)125,805(84,982)42,075405,396754,061

* between-store flows

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