Water availability

Water sharing plans developed by the NSW Office of Water in consultation with the community determine how much water can be extracted over the long-term and also set aside water for the environment.

On a yearly basis, how much water can be extracted varies according to rainfall, inflows to the storages, evaporation and the efficiency of water delivery infrastructure At the start of each water year on 1 July, the Office makes Available Water Determinations (AWDs) more commonly referred to as 'water allocations' which specify how much of their water entitlement licence holders can extract over the course of that year from ariver or aquifer. If the water allocation is less than 100 per cent, the Office will review water availability on a regular basis and when possible, announce revised water allocations.

Managing water during drought

Drought is an intrinsic part of the Australian landscape. Drought is a prolonged, abnormally dry period when there is not enough water for users' normal needs.

Australia has one of the most variable rainfall climates in the world, and severe drought affects some part of Australia about once every 18 years. However, intervals between severe droughts have varied from four to 38 years and the impacts of climate change will mean more prolonged dry periods particularly in inland areas of NSW.

During the current drought critical water planning communiques are being released regularly by the Office to explain the management of water resources in drought-affected catchments. These communiqués describe the current resource availability, how and why it is being shared and outlines probabilities for improvement.

The Office works in partnership with local water utilities in regional NSW to manage town water supplies during drought. Information on assistance is available to farmers and rural businesses during drought is available from the website of Industry & Investment NSW.