It’s been dry across many parts of Victoria this season and customer demand for water is high. In these conditions, it’s important to regularly read your water meter so you can track your use and remain within your licenced allocation.
Water is a finite resource and it’s your responsibility to comply with the conditions of your licence so that everyone gets their fair share. We have a zero-tolerance approach to non-compliance and while most people do the right thing, penalties apply for those who break the rules.
Managing your use starts with knowing how to read your water meter. There are many types of water meters in operation that record groundwater and surface water use in megalitres, cubic meters or kilolitres. Your entitlement is listed in megalitres on your water licence, so readings need to be recorded in megalitres. This means some meter reads will need converting to megalitres.
The size of your meter in millimetres typically determines what calculation you’ll need to convert the reading to megalitres. Readings from meters with meters cubed (m3) or kilolitres on it will need to be divided by 1000 to convert to megalitres.
Readings from meters with x 10 m3 on it will need to be divided by 100 to convert it to megalitres.
Meter reads should be recorded to one decimal place only. Don’t round reads up or down. For example, a meter reading of 123.456 should be entered as 123.4 megalitres.
Things are a little different for our Macalister Irrigation District customers, if you’ve got an automated meter your readings are uploaded automatically after each irrigation. You can view your water usage in the Waterline portal.
If you don’t have an automated meter, you can do a manual read and enter the readings in Waterline. You’ll then be able to track your use against your allocation.
If you’re in the Werribee or Bacchus Marsh Irrigation District, our Water Supply Officers take meter reads before and after we deliver water and these get entered in Waterline. Customers in these districts can check use in Waterline or speak to one of our planners for information.
We recognise that dry conditions and high demand can make it challenging for some customers. If you’re an irrigation district customer, we encourage you to speak with our planners if you have not been able to find a suitable time for a water delivery.
If you’re a surface water customer, you should be aware of Victoria’s water rules, which include conditions on your licence, The Water Act 1989 and any local management plans. These exist so water is shared fairly between users, and we can ensure the long-term sustainability of the resource.
Rosters, restrictions or bans can be introduced on creeks or rivers if levels drop, and it’s your responsibility to keep informed about this. You can call our hotlines to hear what might be happening on your local waterway.
For groundwater customers, it’s good to remember that groundwater levels can fluctuate at a local and regional level over time. Constructing additional bores and deepening existing bores on property can help mitigate against this risk.
A Bore Construction Licence is required to construct or alter a bore for licenced take and use groundwater and can be applied for through Southern Rural Water.
Most licenced groundwater bores are metered, and groundwater take and use licence holders are responsible for regularly reading their meter and monitoring water use to ensure they stay within their water entitlement.
We encourage all licence holders to make sure you have enough water available in your Allocation Bank Account to last the season. Trading can help you secure more water, and we’d encourage you to visit our trading platform or speak to us. Depending on the complexity of the application, trades can take between a few weeks and 12 months to complete – so please allow enough time for trades to be processed.
Southern Rural Water proactively monitors customer account balances through our metering, telemetry and inspection programs. Any unauthorised water take identified will be investigated and customers who don’t correct their negative balance in their Allocation Bank Account will be penalised or prosecuted.
We have powers under the Water Act 1989 (Section 133) to enter property to read meters. A safe, accessible meter site ensures we can read, maintain, or fix your meter quickly – allowing you to remain compliant with your licence conditions. If we can’t access your meter, we may ask you to clean the area and make it safe and we won’t tolerate any aggressive behaviour.
If you need help managing your water use, then get in touch because we’re here to help.