Water in regional and rural WA

The Department has started work on a number of regional water plans to support the State Water Plan. The areas will generally align with Regional Development Commissions, with some variations. Regional water plans will consolidate available water information and identify necessary actions.

Priorities will depend on current water usage, resource development pressure and knowledge of water resources in respective regions. The first regional plan is being developed for the South West. The Department manages the Rural Water Planning Program which implements the initiatives under the State's Rural Water Plan.

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Planning the water future

The Department of Water is undertaking significant work to reform the way we plan for and manage water in Western Australia. This addresses the requirements of the Government Response to the Final Report of the Irrigation Review Steering Committee and the National Water Initiative.

Significant initiatives include:

The preparation of a State Water Plan and Regional Water Plans
Supporting the work of the Water Reform Implementation Committee
Addressing the requirements of the National Water Initiative and
Modernising and streamlining water legislation

Wise water use

The department has initiated and supports a number of programs to make the most efficient use of available water supplies. These include:

Promotion and regulation of water efficient appliances (waterwise rebates)
Water use efficiency programs
Supply system improvements
Water pricing reform
Metering and analysis of water use
Industry participation in promoting water efficiency
Urban design and education
Development of drought response strategies
Draft guidelines for the reuse of grey water.

Water quality

We provide information & understanding needed to guide planning & decisions for the best management of the State's water resources. To do that, we monitor stream flow & water quality in the State's rivers, provide advice on the availability, distribution & quality of groundwater, assess & provide advice on the availability, distribution & quality of those resources to support state development.

A reliable supply of water underpins any form of development. In a state as dry as Western Australia, it is not surprising that the issue of water supply takes on a particular emphasis. Massive effort has been ongoing for several decades to learn enough about the State's water resources to advise decision makers about how development can occur.

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About us

Our role as the Department of State within the water resources portfolio carries with it enormous responsibility and includes making sound decisions based on solid scientific evidence and accurate information.

We collect and analyse water resources information, issue licences, regulate water use, protect the quality of our water, and prepare policies and plans critical to the future development of Western Australia.

Water To Go - Lambton

Lambton