What is mywater?
What is mywater?
Mywater is a 24/7 online system that provides access to a range of information products for account and public users.
You can use mywater to:
- better manage and understand your water accounts
- apply to trade water entitlements and allocations
- make online applications and payments
- monitor the progress of an application
- take advantage of shorter application processing times
- manage and update your contact details.
- register a security interest against your water licence
What are some of the features of mywater?
- A customer-focused online water licensing portal;
- Up-to-date and easily accessible State Water Register;
- Flexibility to buy and sell water when customers require;
- Online access so customers can manage/update their accounts;
- Reduced trading times, with automation and faster processing;
- Easier and streamlined water licensing and permit applications;
- Access to more information to inform critical decisions about water;
- Timely information/data to help plan for issues such as extreme droughts, floods, changes to policy and regulations;
- Improved alignment of data interfaces between the South Australian, New South Wales and Victorian water management and accounting systems.
Why was mywater developed?
Mywater has been developed with input from stakeholders including growers, irrigators, water traders, brokers, financiers, bore drillers and those in the dam construction sector. They asked for a range of improvements to the state’s ageing water management system. Mywater is the solution.
As well as delivering new and improved services, this initiative delivers on South Australia’s commitment to innovate, cut red-tape and reduce the cost of doing business in the state. Hallmarks of the systems will include extensive automation of services, easy access to important licence and permit records and information when customers need it.
This significant initiative also helps underpin South Australia’s commitment to protect water resources including full implementation of the Murray Darling Basin Plan.
Improved data and easier access to it through these reforms will assist in the Plan’s management as well as management of water assets. This initiative also meets the state’s commitment to River Murray irrigators to improve access to water market information and timely services which they want. Having more timely and accessible water management data, including for the Murray Darling Basin, also supports customers and governments in their decision-making about water.
Why have we updated our water licensing system?
There is a significant economic and regulatory imperative to deliver a new water management system for South Australia. The current system has served South Australia well but it is ageing and increasingly inflexible for the modern water market.
The new mywater system is customer centric and provides online management of transactions and dealing relating to water licenses, water access entitlements and water allocations and water accounts, mywater delivers dynamic, context rich real-time data. The introduction of mywater will remove existing barriers to doing business in South Australia and will give customers the power to manage their water management instruments and obligations. It will help South Australia to meet its commitments, particularly around the Murray-Darling Basin, and ensure the state is able to manage and protect its water resources for future generations.
Key features of the new system were developed in response to early engagement with key stakeholders – including growers, water traders and brokers, irrigators, financiers, bore drillers and dam constructors – who told us where improvements could be made on the current water management system.
How were stakeholders involved in defining the improvements to the new system?
Users of DEW’s current water management system – including growers, water traders and brokers, irrigators, financiers, bore drillers and dam constructors – provided comprehensive feedback that was essential to developing the business case and securing funding to develop the new water licensing system. The industry group interviewees represented over 2400 irrigators and growers and there was general agreement and support for water management system reform.
All user groups reported they would like to see:
- a system similar to online banking that linked licenses, water use, reports and trades
- improved use of technology to approve requests and submit meter readings (eg mobile, smartphone)
- improved tracking of application progress
- improved data access (eg water allocation)
- a more intuitive (customer-centric) entrance to system (eg through primary water source)
