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This template should be substituted on the article talk page. NSW Office of Water

Mission Statement
The Mission Statement of the Office of Water is to manage the State's surface water and groundwater resources as limited and precious resources for the immediate needs and for long-term social and economic well being of NSW communities while ensuring environmental sustainability.

What We Do
The NSW Office of Water (NOW), a department in the Government of New South Wales, is responsible for leading policy and reform in sustainable water management in both rural and urban settings in the state of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. It is the lead agency working with rural and urban water utilities, government agencies, farmers, industry, business, environment groups and consumers to achieve a secure and sustainable allocation of water between all users.

The NSW Office of Water is also responsible for ensuring NSW meets its commitments under the National Water Initiative, which is the peak national water reform policy document in Australia.

The NSW Office of Water reports to the NSW Government on water policy and the administration of key water management legislation, including the Water Management Act 2000, Water Act 1912, and the Hawkesbury-Nepean River Act 2009.

The NSW Office of Water is charged with balancing the needs of all water users, particularly during challenging times such as droughts and a future of probable lower water availability as a result of climate variability. Conversely, the NSW Office of Water is responsible for the management of significant flood events – many such events often traverse three states as they move through the Murray-Darling Basin.

Water Sharing Plans
To meet and balance the many competing needs for water resources, the NSW Office of Water has developed and implemented statutory water sharing plans that seek to ensure available surface and groundwater resources are shared equitably between towns and cities, the environment, irrigation, stock and domestic needs and industry. To date, water sharing plans cover over 90 per cent of water extracted across the state, with plans covering the remaining areas currently under various phases of development.

The NSW Office of Water also manages the Metropolitan Water Plan for Greater Sydney. This plan aims to deliver secure and sustainable water supplies for the benefit of the 4.5 million people, businesses and major rivers of the Greater Metropolitan region. The Office also reviews and facilitates water recycling and water industry competition projects.

Our Information
NOW is also the custodian of large scale hydrologic water planning models which cover major NSW surface and groundwater sources. These models are used in the development of water sharing plans, as well as to meet interstate obligations for river salinity and water extraction limits.

Much of NSW water data and information on flows and river levels, groundwater levels, water use, water quality, and the condition of aquatic ecosystems is collected and monitored by the NSW Office of Water. NOW’s information on river flow throughout NSW is provided in real-time to the public and is used by bodies such as the Bureau of Meterology and the State Emergency Services in times of flood.

Water Licencing
One of the main functions of NOW is the licensing of water extraction and works, ensuring water users comply with licensing conditions and facilitating the water market both within NSW and into the neighbouring states of Victoria and South Australia.

Water Management
NOW is also the NSW lead agency for the implementation of a number of joint water savings initiatives with the national government, including the Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative (NSW Cap and Pipe the Bores Program), Pipeline NSW, National Water Commission groundwater projects, and projects under the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) Modernisation Fund – a project to enhance hydrologic monitoring systems and data to support a National Water Information program.

Water Supply - Urban
NOW manages the NSW Government’s Country Towns Water Supply and Sewerage Program which is a major State Government initiative. Through it NOW provides leadership, guidance, and expertise in planning and in the management, operation and maintenance of the water supply and sewerage services in non-metropolitan NSW.

NOW also works closely with water utilities and local government to ensure all NSW communities have a reliable, sustainable, efficient and well managed urban water supply and sewerage services.

NOW also provides emergency drought assistance – both technical and financial – to water utilities to meet the Government’s commitment that no town runs out of water. This includes developing supplementary or alternative water sources, building pipelines and water carting.

The implementation of the NSW Government’s $200 million Aboriginal Communities Water and Sewerage Program is managed by NOW. This program provides technical and financial support to 61 discrete Aboriginal communities to ensure their water and sewerage services meet the standards expected in the wider community.

Groundwater
NOW manages the operation of a Groundwater Drilling Unit which is a commercial, cost-recovered business. NOW also manages the operation and maintenance of a number of salt interception schemes in partnership with the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and private companies.