Licence Trading

In short - yes, if you have a water licence for more than 10,000 kL/a, and want to keep your full allocation (if you're not fully utilising your allocation, licence trading allows you to sell part or your full licence - more info on Licence Trading).

In some cases smaller allocations will also require a meter. Department of Water and Environmental Regulation has / will notify licensees where applicable.

Since 31 December 2020, all licences for 10,000 kL + require meters to have been installed on all drawpoints. If you have not installed a meter yet, please contact us or another provider ASAP.

Traditionally you’ll need to find a buyer/seller in the same water resource you’re allowed to trade with, and offer to buy/sell part or the full allocation. Using our platform, Water Manager, you can list licences for sale or find licences available to purchase on your exact property.

A water allocation can be transferred to an existing or a new licence. This water can then be relocated and used for different purposes.

Both parties have to fill our a licence transfer form and submit it yothe Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. The trade will then go through due diligence with DWER, which usually takes multiple months before approved.

The process will look at the following:

• Are you seeking to trade within your designated groundwater sub-area and aquifer?
• What the allocation is currently used for?
• Is the allocation is currently being fully utilised?
• What is the new intent for the allocation?
• Are there any environment incumbents?
• Does the new owner of the allocation have the infrastructure in place to utilise the allocation or the financial capability to construct it?

Alternatively, you can talk to us. You can let us find you a buyer/seller for your trade, handle all the paperwork according to the current regulations and guidelines, and interface on your behalf with DWER. We will take care of the whole process.

 We make water licensing simple.

No. BD Water is a private business and we do not represent the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. BD Water owns Water Manager, which is also independent from DWER.

All information we provide is our own interpretation of their documentation and if unsure please confirm with DWER directly.

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Not with anyone.

You are only allowed to trade water within the same water resource. A water resource is the combination of groundwater area and sub-area & aquifer.

• For the semi-confined aquifers Mirrabooka and Leederville, the trading range isn’t very restricted, as the sub-areas cover a wide geographical area.
• For the Superficial aquifer, the groundwater sub-areas are geographical boundaries that put a more significant limit on the water resources. The same suburb can have 3-4 different sub-areas within itself.

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You can check what water resource your property is in, and which licences are available for purchase on your property, via Water Manager. Our platform makes it easy to find buyers or sellers, and you can be sure you are trading with parties you are allowed to.

Generally, no.

The majority of areas and aquifers are over allocated, meaning there is more water being extracted from the ground then there is replenishing the supply (via rainfall). This means no more new licences are being issued, certainly not around the denser areas of Perth.

There are some cases where a temporary allocation may be issued but this is generally reserved for construction works or emergency situations.

Generally, the only option for getting an allocation is to trade it with someone else. More info about water trading on Water Manager.

You can call us to discuss your situation, we can help you decipher if you are eligible for a new licence, or advise you of your options.

The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation started regulating the water use in WA because, simply put, we’re taking more water out of the ground than what’s going back in. This results in water levels dropping.

A groundwater licence is one of the ways DWER monitors and manages the amount of water being abstracted.

Water licences allow their holders to take more groundwater that the unlicensed standard amount to irrigate 1/2 an acre (2000 square meters).

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More info about the licence management on Water Manager.

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