South Australia
Contact us regarding water in SA
Water Licences
A water licence authorises the use of water and details specific conditions related to the taking of your water allocation, within a specific prescribed area.
For licence holders who have water rights that are ‘unbundled’, such as those who have water access entitlement shares for the River Murray, the ownership of shares is endorsed on a water licence. The water licence identifies the specifics of your water access entitlement, including:
number of unit shares
the consumptive pool to which the shares relate
class of entitlement.
Sourced from https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/topics/water/water-markets-and-trade/water-licences-and-accounts.
Water Permits
If you are wanting to conduct an activity that requires access or may use a watercourse or ecosystem, you may need a permit. Permits enable these activities to be monitored and regulated to ensure South Australian water resources remain sustainable for use in the future.
South Australian water department/s administers permits for the following activities:
repairing, replacing or altering the casing, lining or screening of a well
draining or discharging water directly or indirectly into a well
using imported water in the course of carrying on a business
using effluent in the course of carrying on a business.
Similarly, water affecting activities in relation to dams and draining or discharging into any watercourse, floodplain or lake require permits that are administered through natural resources centres.
Water Rights in South Australia
South Australian Water Legislation
Water Resources within South Australia are managed under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019 (SA).
Additionally, corporations and departments are governed by the Water Industry Act 2012 (SA).
All legislation regarding water in SA works in conjunction with the Water Act 2007 (Cth).
