WATER users are being encouraged to check a list of approved water meters to ensure they ones in use are appropriate and fit-for-purpose when taking water in the Murray-Darling Basin.
Murray-Darling Basin Authority's office of compliance head Brent Williams said a list of 'pattern approved' meters had been developed to help irrigators choose the right water meter for their circumstances.
"Water meters are required under state legislation in the MDB, in line with the MDBA's 'no meter no pump' advice," her said.
"Meters provide the clearest measure of how much water is being drawn from a river or aquifer.
"By using one of the approved meters, irrigators can be confident their water use meets the required level of accuracy in the Australian standard for non-urban water meters.
"More accurate information will help water users to run their business, whether it's growing crops, watering livestock, manufacturing goods or mining, and to maintain the trust of everyone who relies on the water resources of the Basin."
Mr Williams said the authority had spent the past year working with testing laboratories and meter manufacturers to set a timetable for delivering a comprehensive range of approved meters.
"Given the number and diversity of meters required in the Basin, we expect manufacturers to expand the list of meters with potential to be pattern approved in the near future," he said.
He said the approved meter list included information from the SA, NSW, Vic and Qld governments about the indicative metering requirements of water users in each state.
"The information identifies the need for a significant growth in meter installations over the next decade," he said.
"This work is in accordance with the Compliance Compact agreed by MDB governments in June 2018, which commits governments to strengthen their enforcement of the rules of water use in the Basin."
The range of meters approved by the National Measurement Institute of Australia against the Australian standards is available at mdba.gov.au/sites/default/files/pubs/Pattern-Approved-Non-Urban-Water-Meters.pdf
More information about MDBA compliance and enforcement activities as the water use regulator in the Murray-Darling Basin is available at mdba.gov.au
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