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Water supply security
Queensland has a dynamic climate with some of the highest and lowest rainfalls in the country. Planning for secure water supply is essential in this variable climate to support our industry, agriculture and population growth.
The Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water provides support to local governments with longer‑term water supply planning for their communities. This helps ensure that issues relating to the availability and reliability of water supplies are understood and plans can be made to deal with shortfalls.
The department monitors water supply security for communities across the state with the assistance of service providers through mechanisms such as key performance indicator reporting and a 4 monthly water security survey.
The department can assist service providers with guidance and expert advice on the current status of supply security, as well as potential water supply risks and options going forward.
Water supply responsibility
Queensland's water supply systems (including dams, weirs, desalination plants, and other water treatment plants and infrastructure) are owned and managed by:
- government owned entities (Sunwater, Seqwater, Mount Isa Water Board and Gladstone Area Water Board)
- private entities (e.g. mining companies, port authorities, estate managers)
- local councils (for the majority of Queensland outside South East Queensland).
The ownership and management of water supply systems varies across the state.
In South East Queensland (SEQ), Seqwater owns the bulk water supply infrastructure (i.e. dams and weirs) and is responsible for long-term water supply planning for the region. Water utilities and councils provide water to homes and businesses within SEQ.
Read more about the framework for water security in SEQ, and read about Seqwater's Water for life: South East Queensland's water security program.
Outside SEQ, SunWater owns most of the state's bulk water infrastructure. Councils can also own dams and weirs, and bores to access underground water. Councils generally operate as service providers, owning most of the water treatment facilities and distribution networks, and providing retail services to homes and businesses.
Responsibility for urban water security
Responsibility for urban water supply security and continuity of supply lies with service providers. Listed below are key planning activities that should be undertaken by service providers to reduce risks to water supply security and continuity of services, and links to relevant guidelines:
- asset management planning (PDF, 908KB): to understand key capacity constraints and optimise existing assets
- drought response planning (2.1MB): to be proactive, and to help reduce costs and the risk of supply shortfalls
- water supply planning (1.1MB): including demand forecasting, and
- reviewing timing for future supply augmentation: to ensure adequate water supply to meet future demands.
Read our guide to managing water supply risk for more information and water security planning guidelines.
Also consider...
- Read about planning guidelines for water supply and sewerage (PDF, 1.5MB)
- Find out about managing water demand.
Water supply levels of service
Water security level of service (LOS) objectives are the water service provider's targets for long-term water supply security for a community.
LOS objectives commonly include statements about:
- how much water the water supply system will typically be able to supply
- how often and for how long water restrictions might occur
- the possibility of needing an emergency water supply due to a prolonged drought.
The LOS approach helps make sure that the 'bucket of water' available for treatment and distribution is big enough to supply the community's water needs into the future, including during drought.
LOS objectives provide a basis for water supply security planning, helping to balance the need for water with the cost of supplying it.
How to develop objectives
In South East Queensland, desired LOS objectives are legislated. Outside of this region, local councils and water service providers are encouraged to develop their own LOS objectives. To assist this, we have produced the Water security level of service objectives: Guidelines for development (PDF, 1.9MB).
These guidelines provide service providers with:
- information about the use of LOS objectives in water supply security planning
- advice on how to develop objectives
- guidance on how to set appropriate measures to support LOS objectives
- targets to underpin the long-term water supply security for their community.
When developing LOS objectives, service providers may draw on demand forecasting, as well as assessments of infrastructure capacity and the timing and potential for future augmentation of water supply infrastructure.
Read our guide on managing water supply risk for resources to help guide these activities.
Also consider...
- Read more about South East Queensland desired LOS objectives.
Water security assessments for regional urban areas
The Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water works with councils and service providers to better understand the ability of current water supply systems to supply water for future growth in regional urban areas.
Population growth as well as challenges from droughts and ageing infrastructure highlight the ongoing importance of water security planning. Some local governments have requested our assistance with water supply security planning.
Urban water security assessment program
The urban water security assessment program is a partnership, providing a shared understanding of the potential water supply security risks for prioritised communities.
Each assessment provides an overview of the capability of the existing water sources to meet current and projected future water demands. Hydrologic modelling is used to assess the performance/reliability of supply provided by the bulk water supply system.
Local governments and service providers remain responsible for deciding what should be done and implementing actions to manage water supply risks and provide an appropriate level of water security for their communities.
Water security statements
A water security statement guide (PDF, 1.9MB), template (DOCX, 71KB) and worksheets (XLSX, 641KB) are available to assist service providers to undertake their own water security assessment and develop their own water security statement.
Current water security assessments
The map below shows current completed water security assessments and assessments in progress.
- Atherton regional water supply security assessment (PDF, 2.6MB)
- Biggenden urban water security assessment (PDF, 1.9MB)
- Bundaberg regional water supply security assessment (PDF, 3.7MB)
- Cairns regional water supply security assessment (PDF, 934KB)
- Charters Towers regional water supply security assessment (PDF, 2.4MB)
- Chinchilla regional water supply security assessment (PDF, 3.9MB)
- Cloncurry regional water supply security assessments (PDF, 5.7MB)
- Emerald regional water supply security assessment (PDF, 1.5MB)
- Gladstone regional water supply security assessment (PDF, 6.0MB)
- Goondiwindi regional water supply security assessment (PDF, 5.7MB)
- Gympie regional water supply security assessment (PDF, 1.9MB)
- Hervey Bay regional water supply security assessment (PDF, 2.4MB)
- Ilfracombe regional water supply security assessment (PDF, 1.9MB)
- Isisford regional water supply security assessment (PDF, 1.0MB)
- Kingaroy regional water supply security assessment (PDF, 3.3MB)
- Longreach regional water supply security assessment (PDF, 3.5MB)
- Mackay regional water supply security assessment (PDF, 2.5MB)
- Maryborough regional water supply security assessment (PDF, 2.3MB)
- Mossman and Port Douglas regional water supply security assessment (PDF, 2MB)
- Mount Isa regional water supply security assessment (PDF, 3.7MB)
- Mount Morgan regional water supply security assessment (PDF, 2.7MB)
- Rockhampton regional water supply security assessment (PDF, 1.9MB)
- Roma urban water security assessment (PDF, 3.8MB)
- Stanthorpe regional water supply security assessment (PDF, 2.1MB)
- Townsville regional water supply security assessment (PDF, 2.3MB)
- Warwick regional water supply security assessment (PDF, 4.2MB)
- Whitsundays regional water supply security assessment (PDF, 1.2MB)
Assessments completed and in progress
Also consider...
South East Queensland water security
The Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water provides a framework to provide long-term water security for South East Queensland (SEQ), as prescribed in the Water Act 2000. The aim is to ensure the delivery of a sustainable and secure water supply.
The framework:
- provides for the desired level of service (LOS) objectives for water security in the SEQ region
- requires the bulk water supply authority to have a water security program to facilitate the achievement of the desired LOS objectives.
Desired level of service objectives for SEQ
The desired LOS objectives are set in the Water Regulation 2016 (sections 79-81) .
These objectives for SEQ require that the bulk water supply network be able to supply enough water:
- to meet the projected regional average urban demand estimated by Seqwater, so that medium-level water restrictions on residential water use will (on average) not occur more than once every 10 years or be more severe than 140 litres per person per day
- to ensure that the total duration of water restrictions that are medium level or of greater severity last no longer than 5% of the modelled time
- to provide an essential minimum supply volume of 100 litres per person per day in an extreme drought event (i.e. a one in a 10,000 year event), so that key storages (i.e. Baroon Pocket, Wivenhoe and Hinze dams) will not reach their minimum operating level more than once in every 10,000 years on average.
Review of LOS objectives
The LOS objectives are regularly reviewed. The 2019 review found that the current objectives are satisfactory in helping to ensure water security for SEQ. The review recommended:
- clarifying aspects of the Water security program guidelines for South East Queensland (PDF, 805KB)
- updating legislation to change the duration of medium-level restrictions objective.
A consultation report (PDF, 410KB) is available which provides details of the public submission process and more general consultation that was undertaken to support the change to the desired level of service objectives that occurred in February 2022.
Water security program and guidelines
The Water security program guidelines for South East Queensland (PDF, 805KB) provide Seqwater with information and guidance for program preparation. It clarifies various aspects of the interpretation of the desired LOS objectives in the Water Regulation 2016.
The South East Queensland water security program 2023 was published by Seqwater in October 2023.
This program outlines how the desired LOS objectives for South East Queensland are proposed to be achieved over the next 30 years. It includes information about the operation of the bulk water supply system, future bulk water infrastructure, and drought response.
© The State of Queensland 1995–2024
- Last reviewed: 08 Sep 2021
- Last updated: 08 Sep 2021