Summary of current water allocations
Below are tables summarising current water allocations for regulated river, unregulated river and groundwater water sources.
Allocations that are normally expressed in megalitres per unit share – for example high security, general security and aquifer access – are expressed in the tables below as percentages. One megalitre (ML) per unit share equates to 100% allocation, whereas 0.05 ML per share equates to 5% allocation.
Tables for the unregulated rivers and groundwater sources report by exception, that is, only those water source licence categories that did not receive full allocations are listed.
Carryover water
Water users may have access to unused water in their account carried over from the previous year. Carryover rules vary between water sources and between licence categories. Towns, domestic and stock, and most high security licence categories cannot carryover.
Drought stage
The current drought stage for each inland river valley is included in the table. These range from Stage 1 (Normal operations) to Stage 4 (Critical drought). The drought stage is determined in accordance with the critical trigger levels outlined in incident response guides (IRGs) developed by the department. Further information on the IRGs is available at extreme events.
Drought stage per water source
Water source | System type* | Drought stage | Date of last stage change |
Lower Darling | Regulated river | Stage 4 | December 2018 |
Barwon-Darling | Unregulated river | Stage 4 | February 2019 |
Lower Namoi | Regulated river | Stage 4 | February 2019 |
Upper Namoi | Regulated river | Stage 3 | November 2018 |
Macquarie | Regulated river | Stage 4 | May 2019 |
Gwydir | Regulated river | Stage 3 | May 2019 |
NSW Border Rivers | Regulated river | Stage 3 | May 2019 |
Belubula | Regulated river | Stage 3 | May 2019 |
Peel | Regulated river | Stage 3 | May 2019 |
Lachlan | Regulated river | Stage 2 | May 2019 |
Murrumbidgee | Regulated river | Stage 2 | May 2019 |
Murray | Regulated river | Stage 2 | May 2019 |
All other water sources | Various | Stage 1 | October 2018 |
* System type refers to regulated river, unregulated river or groundwater.
Drought stages summary
Below is map of the drought stages across NSW, current as at May 2019. You can also download a high resolution version of the map (note this is a large file, 6.2 MB).
Current allocations - regulated rivers
River valley | Allocation | Licence category | Date of last allocation increase |
Murray* | 0% | General security | 15 March 2018 |
97% | High security | 1 July 2018 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2018 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2018 | |
Lower Darling* | 0% | General security | 1 July 2017 |
100% | High security | 1 July 2018 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2018 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2018 | |
Murrumbidgee* | 7% | General security | 17 September 2018 |
95% | High security | 1 July 2018 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2018 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2018 | |
Lachlan* | 0% | General security | 14 August 2017 |
100% | High security | 1 July 2018 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2018 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2018 | |
Belubula* | 0% | General security | 21 December 2016 |
100% | High security | 1 July 2018 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2018 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2018 | |
Macquarie and Cudgegong* | 0% | General security | 14 August 2017 |
100% | High security | 1 July 2018 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2018 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2018 | |
Lower Namoi* | 0% | General security | 7 August 2017 |
100% | High security | 1 July 2018 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2018 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2018 | |
Upper Namoi* | 100% | General security | 1 July 2018 |
100% | High security | 1 July 2018 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2018 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2018 | |
Peel | 38% | General security | 4 October 2018 |
100% | High security | 1 July 2018 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2018 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2018 | |
Gwydir* | 0% | General security | 7 February 2018 |
100% | High security | 1 July 2018 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2018 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2018 | |
NSW Border Rivers* | 32.8% | General security A Class | 10 October 2018 |
0% | General security B Class | 31 January 2018 | |
100% | High security | 1 July 2018 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2018 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2018 | |
Richmond | 100% | General security | 1 July 2018 |
100% | High security | 1 July 2018 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2018 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2018 | |
Paterson* | 100% | General security | 1 July 2018 |
100% | High security | 1 July 2018 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2018 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2018 | |
Hunter* | 100% | General security | 1 July 2018 |
100% | High security | 1 July 2018 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2018 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2018 | |
Bega Brogo | 65% | General security | 19 February 2019 |
100% | High security | 1 July 2018 | |
100% | Domestic and stock | 1 July 2018 | |
100% | Local water utilities | 1 July 2018 |
* Carryover water may also be available.
Current allocations - unregulated rivers
River valley | Current allocation (2018-19) water year | Licence category | Date of allocation |
All unregulated river water sources | Full allocations | All categories | 1 July 2018 |
* Carryover water may also be available, according to water sharing plan.
Current allocations - groundwater
River valley | Current allocation (2018-19) water year | Water source / licence category | Date of allocation |
Eastern Recharge (NSW Great Artesian Basin) | 50% | Aquifer access | 1 July 2018 |
Peel Alluvium | 69.4% | Aquifer (general security) access | 4 October 2018 |
Murrumbidgee Alluvial | 98.4% | Aquifer (high security) access | 1 July 2018 |
All other groundwater sources | 100% | All other licence categories | 1 July 2018 |
* Carryover water may also be available, according to water sharing plan.