Water banking for enhanced drought resilience

Water scarcity in the Murray–Darling Basin poses significant challenges to agriculture, communities, and the environment, exacerbated by unpredictable water availability during droughts. To address these issues, a pioneering initiative aims to implement water banking – a strategic method involving managed aquifer recharge to store water underground during times of surplus and extract it during deficits. This approach aims to enhance water security for irrigated agriculture, communities, and environmental preservation across the Murray–Darling Basin.

About this project

Fluctuations in water availability due to climate change and competing demands necessitate innovative water management strategies. Water banking offers a solution by storing excess surface water underground during wet periods. This stored water can then be retrieved during dry spells, ensuring a stable water supply for towns, high-value horticulture, and environmental conservation efforts.

The project focuses on three key applications of water banking:

1. Water banking for communal benefit (town and industry): Securing town water supplies and supporting industrial needs during periods of water stress.
2. Water banking for environmental benefit: Replenishing groundwater to support ecosystem health, such as maintaining base flows to wetlands and preventing saline intrusion.
3. Technical and economic evaluation: Assessing the feasibility of water banking across different locations within the Murray–Darling Basin, considering factors like hydrogeology, water quality, and economic viability.

This project unfolds in phases:

• Phase 1: Reviewing international and local water banking schemes to identify favorable conditions and potential challenges. This phase also includes economic evaluations to inform policy and regulatory frameworks.
• Phase 2: Developing a portfolio of prospective demonstration sites across the basin. These sites will undergo detailed assessments to determine their suitability and community support.
• Phase 3: Implementing pilot projects at selected sites, such as Coleambally in NSW, to validate the feasibility and benefits of water banking. This phase aims to gather practical data on recharge and recovery rates, economic viability, and environmental impacts.

This project is expected to:

• broaden awareness and acceptance of water banking as a viable water management tool
• provide stakeholders with comprehensive data to make informed decisions regarding future investments in water banking infrastructure
• enhance long-term water security for agriculture, industry, and the environment by mitigating the impacts of water variability and climate change.

Outcomes

By integrating surface water and groundwater management through innovative approaches like water banking, this project seeks to build resilience and sustainability within the Murray–Darling Basin’s water supply network. This collaborative effort aims to set a precedent for effective water resource management in Australia, paving the way for broader adoption of similar strategies globally.