Floodplain harvesting

The rules for floodplain harvesting access licenses in the Namoi Valley are in the development stage. These rules apply to both regulated and unregulated floodplain harvesting water access licences and include access rules, water account management and dealings.

The licensing requirements for the Namoi Valley are being finalised by the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (NSW DCCEEW). Visit the NSW DCCEEW webpage on the Namoi Valley. 

Read more about floodplain harvesting rules in the Namoi Valley.

The rules for floodplain harvesting access licenses in the Macquarie Valley commenced on 1 March 2023. These rules apply to regulated floodplain harvesting water access licences and include access rules, water account management and dealings.

The licensing requirements for Macquarie and Cudgegong Regulated River Water Source commenced on 1 March 2023.

For more information, please see:

• WaterNSW Macquarie Valley floodplain harvesting fact sheet (PDF, 664.92 KB)
• NSW DCCEEW summary sheet for regulated water users in the Macquarie Valley.
• Further information on the NSW DCCEEW Macquarie Valley webpage.

The rules for floodplain harvesting access licenses in the Gwydir Valley commenced on 15 August 2022. These rules apply to both regulated and unregulated floodplain harvesting water access licences and include access rules, water account management and dealings.

The licensing requirements for Gwydir Valley commenced on 15 August 2022.

For more information please see:

• WaterNSW Gwydir Valley floodplain harvesting fact sheet (PDF, 695.93 KB)
• NSW DCCEEW summary sheets for regulated water users and unregulated water users in the Gwydir Valley.
• Further information on the NSW DCCEEW Gwydir Valley webpage.

The rules for floodplain harvesting access licenses in the Barwon-Darling Valley will commenced on 1 April 2023. These rules apply to unregulated floodplain harvesting water access licences and include access rules, water account management and dealings.

The licensing requirements for Barwon-Darling valley commenced on 1 April 2023.

For more information, please see:

• WaterNSW Barwon-Darling floodplain harvesting fact sheet (PDF, 665.5 KB)
• NSW DCCEEW summary sheet for unregulated water users in the Barwon-Darling.
• Further information on the NSW DCCEEW Barwon-Darling Valley webpage.

The rules for floodplain harvesting access licenses in the NSW Border Rivers commenced on 15 August 2022. These rules apply to regulated floodplain harvesting water access licences and include access rules, water account management and dealings.

The licensing requirements for NSW Border Rivers commenced on 15 August 2022.

For more information, please see:

• WaterNSW NSW Border Rivers floodplain harvesting fact sheet (PDF, 665.08 KB)
• NSW DCCEEW summary sheet for water users in the NSW Border Rivers.
• Further information on the NSW DCCEEW NSW Border Rivers webpage.

• Storage measurement
  • This method uses either a surface radar or submersible pressure level sensor to measure the depth of the water within a storage.  The change in volume of your storage is then calculated using the registered storage curve/rating table.
  • All water storages listed on a water supply approval must have measurement equipment installed, following the Minister’s standards.  You can remove the requirement to install metering equipment on a storage by applying to WaterNSW to mark the storage as inactive for the purpose of floodplain harvesting. To mark your storage as inactive, please submit an Application to amend approval for inactive or active works – floodplain harvesting only.
  • When using storage measurement devices, you can only irrigate during a floodplain harvesting event, if a pattern-approved meter is installed on the outflow of your storage by a duly qualified person (DQP), along with a storage measurement device. This must follow AS4747 rules to ensure all water used during the measurement period is recorded. Refer to ‘understanding the floodplain harvesting policy landscape’ on this page for more information.
  • An alternative way to measure water in storages without a raised walkway, including wet storages, is now available. It uses a submersible pressure level sensor mounted on a concrete pad with tamper evident seals and an approved LID to transmit data.  The concrete pad and sensor are connected by a PVC conduit containing the sensor cable connected to the LID. The conduit and the sensor assembly are lowered to the storage floor from a boat. You can find out more information about this method here.
• Point-of-intake measurement
  • This method is where all floodplain harvesting take is measured at particular inflow points of an approved water supply work site. It requires specific metering equipment that aligns with the non-urban metering equipment requirements * to be installed. To be eligible for this measurement method, a DQP, must approve this work. If you wish to use this method, it is recommended that you ask your DQP to contact WaterNSW.
  • For more information, please visit NSW DCCEEW website.

*The Minister has granted an exemption for floodplain harvesting works that are required to connect to telemetry but cannot because they are in a network black spot. Find out more about the telemetry exemption.

Please note: For water users with an unregulated river access licence taking overland flow water from a declared floodplain, metering equipment must be installed before they take overland flow.

Disclaimer: If you wish to floodplain harvest prior to the installation of primary measurement equipment you can use a secondary measurement device for one year from the date your licence is issued. Currently the only valley that may use a secondary measurement device prior to installing a primary device, is the Namoi Valley. This is because as all other valleys  had their licences issued more than 12 months prior.

After one year has passed from the date your licence was issued, you are only authorised to solely use your secondary measurement device if your primary measurement device is faulty.  In this circumstance you must lodge an S91i using the S91i self-reporting form.  If you have not yet installed primary measurement devices,  you do not have a pathway to use a secondary measurement device.

Find a list of secondary metering devices suitable for floodplain harvesting.

Click on the link to reference how to allocate a measurement period for a storage with a secondary device.

Customers can nominate their floodplain harvesting event through their iWAS account. Your floodplain harvesting event simply records that time that you commenced and ceased taking floodplain harvesting water.

The duration of the nominated floodplain harvesting period is known as the 'measurement period’. The measurement period begins when overland flow is taken from the floodplain or brought under control of the work listed on a work approval, or if the overland flow cannot be isolated from water taken under another access licence, an access licence exemption, or a basic landholder right.

Previously, the measurement period started when overland flow was collected by a buffer zone, even if the approval holder had not started harvesting. With the alignment to the non-urban metering regulations, the buffer zone doesn’t need to be listed on the water supply approval or be equipped with storage meters. However, this does not apply if the buffer has been licensed as a storage on the floodplain harvesting water supply work approval.

• To assist you in registering or logging into your iWAS account, please refer to our iWAS fact sheet.
• To assist you in nominating a floodplain harvesting event, please refer to our how to nominate a measurement period guide.
• If you are using secondary measurement equipment or you are unable to access iWAS, please use our floodplain harvesting measurement recording and reporting form.

The Data Acquisition Service (DAS) is where all your data is transmitted, please view our video for further information.

If a telemetry connection is lost for more than 72 hours, you must notify WaterNSW within 24 hours of discovery of this fault. If you do not report a faulty meter, it is a breach of the Water Management Act 2000. Approval holders are not required to record or report water take unless a telemetry connection is lost for 72 hours or more. Follow the below steps:

1. Report a faulty meter using our online s91i self-reporting form. You’ll need to specify how you’ll measure water while your meter is faulty.
2. Repair or replace the meter within 21 days and have it certified by a DQP (if required).
   • If you can’t repair or replace the meter within 21 days of reporting it, you can apply for an extension online.
   • Find a DQP.
   • the logbook used to record water taken while the meter was faulty.
   • a copy of the validation certificate completed by the DQP.
   • up to two photos of the new or repaired metering equipment.
3. Submit a completion form within 28 days of repairing or replacing your equipment including:

The introduction of a new ‘faulty metering’ rule during flood events will enable water users to take water from supplementary events if their meter is unable to be operated due to flooding. Alternate measurement rules will apply. Read the faulty meters fact sheet for more information.

The Water Management (General) Regulation 2018 has been amended to ensure that floodplain harvesting measurement rules apply consistently across all works listed on a work approval.

The previous regulation mirrored the non-urban metering rules, where water is usually taken from a single source (such as a pump in a river) as opposed to floodplain harvesting, where water is taken through multiple points and different sources simultaneously. The amendment clarifies that when a floodplain harvesting measurement period starts, and overland flow is captured, the restrictions on water use during this time will apply to all works on the work approval.

The amended rules now also allow for flexibility by enabling the water supply work approval to be subdivided. This means you can separate a work approval into two or more work approvals, enabling you to trigger separate measurement periods.

Landholders who subdivide their water supply work approval into two or more approvals must install and identify controlling infrastructure to prevent the mixing of the 2 or more areas to ensure all overland flow is captured.

Visit our approvals webpage to make changes to your work approval.

The DQP Portal allows you to:

• Record information about the steps you have taken to order measurement equipment.
• Submit documentation on behalf of the client, to confirm the measurement equipment has been properly installed and validated.
• Discover training materials to assist with your work.

To find more information or if you require assistance, please visit our DQP Assistance webpage. You can also submit an enquiry regarding floodplain harvesting using our online form.

Submit a floodplain harvesting enquiry