When a measurement period starts
Your measurement period begins when overland flow is:
- taken by any work listed on your work approval, or
- unable to be separated from water taken under another licence, exemption, or basic landholder right.
When a measurement period ends
The measurement period ends when:
- overland flow is no longer being taken by approved works,
- all buffer zones linked to those works are empty (except for water that cannot reasonably be moved into a metered storage), and
- channels are no longer conveying water to storages.
How to nominate a measurement period
You must notify WaterNSW of the start and end of each measurement period (date and time).
Notifications are made in the iWAS Portal and must be lodged within 24 hours of both the start and the end. You have 14 days to finalise your measurement period.
Measurement rules apply to each work approval
Measurement periods and measurement rules apply at the work approval level. For example, if your work approval includes 3 storages, all 3 will be subject to the measurement period, each must have compliant storage measurement, and all will be included when calculating your floodplain harvesting take.
Subdividing work approvals
You can subdivide a work approval into two or more approvals to create separate measurement areas and increase on-farm flexibility.
To subdivide, you must apply to WaterNSW using the Application to amend approval to subdivide water supply works and/or water use approval form and show that you have infrastructure to control water movement between the divided approval areas.
Developed area rainfall runoff exemption
You may take rainfall runoff from irrigated fields through tailwater drains without a licence or work approval, provided no other works on your property are taking overland flow at the same time.
If you are in a measurement period, the developed area rainfall runoff exemption does not apply.
Irrigating during a measurement period
If using point-of-intake metering
Irrigation is allowed.
All floodplain harvested water is measured at the point of intake, so it can be used on-farm during a measurement period.
If using storage metering
During a measurement period, water from a metered storage cannot be used for irrigation unless the storage is fitted with an offtake meter which is pattern-approved, with local intelligence device (LID) and telemetry and is installed by a duly qualified person (DQP).
Important information
During a measurement period you cannot take and use unlicensed water such as basic landholder rights or any other water that is exempt from requiring a licence.
You can transfer water between storages during a measurement period if they are all part of the same work approval and have compliant metering.
Buffer zone areas
A buffer zone area is an unmetered area (such as a surge or field storage) used to temporarily hold water before it moves into a metered storage.
During a measurement period water in buffer zone must be transferred to a metered storage unless it is not reasonably possible (e.g. below pump level or cannot drain by gravity).
Choosing a measurement method
When deciding between storage metering and point-of-intake metering, consider:
- how you take water across your property,
- when and where you irrigate, and
- whether subdividing your work approval would improve flexibility.