Water Management
Water use in NSW
About 7,000 gigalitres (1 GL = 1 billion litres) of water are extracted on average each year in NSW. 70-80 per cent of this water is used for irrigated agriculture.
About 6,000 GL (80 per cent) is extracted on average from the State's regulated rivers (those whose flows are controlled by large rural water storages operated by State Water), followed by groundwater (predominantly from the major inland alluvial groundwater systems) and the remainder being in the unregulated rivers, many of which are on the coast.
Water extractions in recent years have been substantially lower than average because of the drought. In some valleys, severe water shortages have meant the water sharing plan rules have been suspended and contingency planning arrangements have been put in place.
How much water can be extracted in a year by licence holders is determined by the Department of Water and Energy and advised through allocation announcements made in the media. For the latest announcements go to the listing of available water determinations to see the available determination register or the recent media releases.