The Assessment of Metering and Monitoring Options for Pastoral Water Points

In the South Australian pastoral zone, metering and monitoring of water points is largely completed by labour-intensive and costly water runs (visual inspections) which do not provide a comprehensive understanding of water use or provide security around water point availability between site visits. For those who have telemetry systems, the information is typically limited to tank and trough water levels.

The Assessment of Metering and Monitoring Options for Pastoral Water Points project was designed to fill a significant gap in information by identifying water smart technology suitable for the arid SA pastoral zone and assess the economic and environmental benefits of the identified technology to provide evidence to support adoption and change from traditional water point management.

The project was based on a desktop study to produce a report that provides practical information to assist pastoral businesses with water management business decisions and identifies emerging or new technologies requiring field trial.

It included the following components:

• Identification of water smart solutions - practical and cost-effective solutions to metering and monitoring of pastoral wells;

• Listing existing technologies and known brands;

• Identification of emerging technologies and technologies potentially suitable but not used in the pastoral industry; and

• Identification of key features and compare strengths and weaknesses.

In addition, the project provided recommendations for project concepts to trial water measurement and monitoring technology and a cost benefit analysis of the installation of water point measuring and monitoring

The Assessment of Metering and Monitoring Options for Pastoral Water Points project supported the Accounting for Groundwater Take in the Far North project, which was delivered in partnership with the Board, its Water Accounting Advisory Group, the Department for Environment and Water, and the pastoral community. Water accounting field trials by landholders as part of that project trialled water measurement and monitoring technology. The measuring and monitoring project supported these trials by identifying water smart solutions and providing expert input into developing them.