Water metering
For effective planning, allocation and managment of water resources for urban, irrigation, commercial and environmental purposes, it is necessary to have a clear picture of water-use patterns.
While urban water use has been monitored for some time, metering in rural areas has been sporadic.
Metering water extractions policy
The Metering water extractions policy provides a framework for uniform, statewide metering of the water extracted from our rivers, lakes, streams and aquifers.
The policy has been split into smaller PDFs for easier downloading.
- Part A: foreword (PDF)*
- Part B: contents; policy chapters (PDF)*
- Part C: appendix (PDF)*
It is also available as a complete PDF (PDF)* (337 kB)* to facilitate printing.
Benefits of water metering
Fair and equitable sharing
Metering provides the information needed to ensure water users comply with the conditions of their water entitlement. This encourages water users to take no more than their fair share, minimising the potential for disputes and concerns about other users exploiting the resource.
Enhanced reliability of access
Recorded metered usage provides water users with the certainty and security needed to purchase and use entitlements with confidence. Enhanced reliability of the water user’s access to water ensures investments in entitlements and infrastructure are not undermined by upstream extractions.
Monitoring water resource plans
Meters provide water use information that will help NRW to monitor the effectiveness of water resource plans (WRPs) and their progress in meeting environmental flows and water allocation security objectives.
Improving efficiency
Metering water use encourages more efficient on-farm water management practices, allowing a better understanding of the amount of water used and encouraging measures that will improve water use efficiency.
Metering Process Manual
The Metering Process Manual documents the metering process, procedures and technical specifications developed by the department to support the statewide metering project. Please note that the manual is a 'living document'—as the metering process evolves the contents of the manual will be updated to reflect changes.
The manual has been split into smaller PDFs for easier downloading.
- Part 1: The metering process (PDF)*
- Part 2: Project initialisation (PDF)*
- Part 3: Access requirements (PDF)*
- Part 4: Site assessment and meter selection (PDF)*
- Part 5: Site preparation (PDF)*
- Part 6: Meter supply and contract process (PDF)*
- Part 7: Installation (PDF)*
- Part 8: Practical completion (PDF)*
- Part 9: Reading, maintenance and compliance (PDF)*
- Part 10a: Forms and notices (PDF)*
- Part 10b (PDF)*
- Part 10c (PDF)*
It is also available as a complete PDF (PDF)* to facilitate printing.
More information
- Guideline for installation of pump and bore pipework suitable for water meters (PDF, 169K)* guides the water user in configuring existing and new pipework to ensure that a department-owned meter can be correctly installed.
- Water metering fact sheets.
* Requires Acrobat Reader
Last updated: 26 March 2009