What are water allocation statements?
Water allocation statements are issued to announce allocations for a specific water source and licence category. These statements may also be issued to provide a summary of current allocations, outlook and possible future water availability scenarios for major river valleys and systems.
When an opportunity to access a supplementary flow event occurs, the department approves such events and WaterNSW issues ‘Supplementary announcements’.
During times of drought, the prevailing drought stage for each river valley is included in statements. The drought stage is determined in accordance with the critical trigger levels outlined in the incident response guides (IRGs) developed by the department. Further information on the IRGs is available at extreme events.
Water allocation statements for the current year and past six years can be accessed below.
Water allocation statements
Receive email updates on water allocations and availability across various sources.
2026
This frequently asked questions page answers questions about the state-wide opening allocations on 1 July, including how water allocations are determined in NSW regulated rivers.
Access our historical water allocation statements from 2019 – 2025.