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Notice: Change in Forms Availability

The online water licence and permit application forms listed across the DEW website will not be available after 11am Friday 28 June 2024.


You will soon be able to lodge water licence and permit applications online through South Australia’s new mywater portal. We will be supporting water users to get set up to use mywater over the next 12 months.


In the interim, you can download PDF versions of all our water licence and permit application forms below.

Mount Gambier Water Licensing Relocating to Jubilee HWY

You are advised that from 19thof February 2024, the Mount Gambier Water Licensing Team will be located at 152 Jubilee Highway East.

Please continue to call (08) 8735 1134.

New services for the Water Register commenced 1 July 2022

The following forms are applicable anywhere in South Australia.

Application Type

Form

Guidance notes

Last modified

Register, extend or discharge a Security Interest on the Water Register

G4

Guideline: Security interests on the Water Register

1 July 2024
Application to alter details on the Water RegisterG51 July 2024
Application to register or discharge a Caveat over a Water Licence or Water Access EntitlementG9Guideline: Caveats on the Water Register1 July 2024
Application to subdivide a water licenceG10Guideline for subdivision of a water licence1 July 2024
Application to consolidate water licencesG15Guideline for consolidation of water licences1 July 2024
Application to appoint an agentG161 July 2024
Application to register transmission through devolutionG171 July 2024
Application to register trustee in bankruptcyG181 July 2024
Application for recording of administrator of body corporateG191 July 2024
Application to lapse caveat registered without the express consent of the water licence holderG201 July 2024
Notice of proposed enforcement of a security interest on the Water RegisterG211 July 2024
Application to register an approved transfer of Water Licence or Water Access Entitlement on the Water RegisterGL11 July 2024


Water affecting activity permits

FormContact

Drain or discharge water into a well

(08) 8463 6876

Use imported water (except Clare Valley)

(08) 8463 6876

Use effluent water

(08) 8463 6876

To access forms for any other water affecting activity, please visit your local natural resources centre.

Well driller's licence forms

FormContact

Well driller's licence - application

(08) 8463 6876

Well driller's licence - renewal

(08) 8463 6876

Well driller's licence - variation

(08) 8463 6876

Well construction permit

FormContact

Well construction permit

(including backfilling an existing well, constructing a replacement well and carrying out work on an existing well)

(08) 8735 1134

Note 1 Well drilling activities within the Torrens to Darlington Tunnel Protection Areas. If your application relates to a new or existing well in a Designated Tunnel Protection Area, in assessing the application DEW will consider advice from the Department for Infrastructure and Transport regarding potential impacts on the River Torrens to Darlington tunnel corridor and planned infrastructure. Designated Tunnel Protection Areas align to the corridor being preserved for the River Torrens to Darlington tunnels.

Detailed maps of the Tunnel Protection Areas are available on the South Australian Property and Planning Atlas (SAPPA) website, see Tunnel Protection Overlay of the Planning and Design Code. Further information on drilling in Tunnel Protection Areas is provided here, including details on how to look up the Tunnel Protection Areas on SAPPA and how to contact the Department for Infrastructure and Transport to discuss your application.

Note 2 – On 4 October 2020 it was announced that the moratorium on drilling new domestic bores in Adelaide was lifted. Anyone considering applying for a stock or domestic Well Construction Permit (including those for replacement, rehabilitation and deepening) in the Central Adelaide Prescribed Wells Area, should consider the Lifting the Moratorium FAQs, as well as the latest information about Groundwater Prohibition Areas (GPAs) and EPA Assessment Areas that can be found on the EPA’s website.

If the property is located within a Groundwater Prohibition Area or in an area otherwise known or suspected as having contaminated groundwater (e.g. in an EPA Assessment Area), any applications for a stock or domestic Well Construction Permit (including those for replacement, rehabilitation and deepening) will be refused in the interest of public health and safety.

If the property is outside of a Groundwater Prohibition Area or EPA Assessment Area, additional assessment to determine if the location is known or suspected as having contaminated groundwater will be required (may take up to 40 business days to process). This assessment is conducted by the EPA and will occur upon lodgment of the permit application. If the assessment reveals that your proposed drill site is known or suspected as having contaminated groundwater your permit application will be refused.

Note 3 – If your well construction permit for stock or domestic use in the Central Adelaide Prescribed Wells Area is successful, a condition of your permit will be to arrange and pay for a water quality sample to be collected and tested by an accredited laboratory, prior to use, to ensure the water is safe and fit for purpose.

Fitness for purpose will be determined by the landowner based on appropriate Australian or International guidelines along with advice from SA Health. For assistance to interpret these results from a public health perspective help can be provided by the Water Quality Unit of SA Health. Please also see the information provided by SA Health about the risks of using bore water for domestic purposes and guidance on testing the water quality.

Note 4 - If water quality results indicate that there is site contamination, it is important that you immediately discontinue use. Preventing extraction of contaminated groundwater is necessary to protect human health and also to prevent the spread of contamination. This can be caused by drawing water towards a property if the groundwater is being extracted from a bore.

As the owner or occupier of the site or residential property, you must notify the EPA in writing as soon as reasonably practicable after becoming aware of the existence of contamination. This is a legal requirement under the Environment Protection Act 1993. The EPA can be contacted on (08) 8204 2004 or by email.

The EPA is required to place this notification in the EPA Public Register. The liable party found to be responsible for the contamination (or the EPA) also advises the affected community if a risk to public health is confirmed.

Note 5 – If your application for a well construction permit is successful, and if a condition of the permit requires you to submit water samples for salinity testing by the department, please send water samples to: Department for Environment and Water, 24-26 Tikalara Street, Regency Park, SA, 5010. Please be aware that this does not relate to Note 3 above.