Water metering standards
If you hold a water entitlement to take non-urban water you may need to take action to meet Queensland’s new metering standards. You will receive a notification 12 months in advance if you need to:
- Install a new meter (PDF, 877KB) to bring your water measurement up to the latest standards.
- Revalidate your existing meter (PDF, 1MB) to ensure its accuracy meets current requirements.
Non-urban water is water that is taken directly from surface water or groundwater and is not supplied by local government or other water service provider as part of a town water supply or other distribution scheme.
Take action
- Find your due dates for validating existing water meters or installing and validating new water meters.
- Only certified meter installers (CMIs) can inspect and validate meters. Find a CMI at www.irrigationaustralia.com.au.
- Submit your Meter Validation Certificate (MVC) by email to the North or South region metering team. Use the map to find which team is right for you or phone 13 QGOV (13 74 68).
When meters aren't required
You may not be required to install a meter in one or more of these circumstances:
- The water taken is for stock or domestic purposes.
- The volume stated on the entitlement is below a threshold requiring a meter as outlined in the water regulation, relevant water plan or meter notice.
- There is no take of water through the works or there are no works installed.
- The water taken is for prescribed activities under the Water Regulation 2016.
- The water taken is for another use approved by the department as an activity that does not require a meter.
If you meet these circumstances you must fill out an Information request form (W2F165) (PDF, 681KB)and return to the department using the North or South region metering contact details in the Contact us section.
New, modern water meters are:
- More accurate and provide reliable data on water use.
- Give everyone access to accurate water usage information.
- Nationally certified and meet the high standards set by the National Measurement Institute.
When you need to comply
Here are the due dates for new meter installs and meter validations. Open each listing to see which areas are included.
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Water entitlement holders in the following areas are required to have their existing meters revalidated by 30 November 2023.
Water Plan Area Water Management Area (WMA) Condamine and Balonne Central Condamine Alluvium (Upper Condamine) Condamine and Balonne WMA Upper Condamine WMA Oakey Creek Alluvium Dalrymple Creek Alluvium Border Rivers and Moonie Stanthorpe WMA Moonie River catchment WMA Gold Coast Lower Nerang WMA Moreton Cressbrook Creek groundwater WMA Lockyer Valley groundwater WMA Mary Basin Cooloola Sandmass Burnett Basin Coastal Burnett Groundwater WMA - area A Bowen Bowen Groundwater Management Area on Plan CAS3065 -
Water entitlement holders in the following areas are required to have new meters installed and validated by 31 March 2024.
Water Plan Area Water Management Area (WMA) Condamine and Balonne
See map (PDF, 1MB)Nobby Basalts underground water sub-area Cunningham Alluvium water underground water sub-area Border Rivers and Moonie
See map (PDF, 812KB)Stanthorpe WMA -
Water entitlement holders in the following areas are required to have new meters installed and validated by 30 September 2024.
Water Plan Area Water Management Area (WMA) Condamine and Balonne
See map (PDF, 1MB)All remaining Upper Condamine Alluvium (Tributaries) Underground Water Unit
All remaining Upper Condamine Basalts Underground Water Unit
Condamine and Balonne Tributaries WMA:
- Zone CBT-04
- Zone CBT-05
- Zone CBT-06
- Zone CBT-07
- Zone CBT-08
- Zone CBT-09
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Water entitlement holders in the following areas are required to have new meters installed and existing meters validated by 30 November 2024.
Water Plan Area Water Management Area (WMA) Border Rivers and Moonie Border Rivers Alluvium underground water sub-area Burnett Basin Coastal Burnett groundwater management area for the following groundwater sub-areas:
- Kolan – Burnett B
- Burnett – Elliot B
- Elliot-Gregory B
- Fairymead B
- Farnsfield B
Boyne and Stuart Rivers WMA
Fitzroy Lower Callide, Prospect Creek and Upper Callide groundwater sub- areas Cape York Lakeland water licence zones 1 and 2 of the Cook underground WMA Wet tropics Mulgrave-Russell catchment area Gulf Gilbert River catchment area Burdekin Burdekin groundwater management area The Belyando Suttor subcatchment area under the Water Plan (Burdekin Basin) Plan 2007
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Water entitlement holders in the following areas are required to have new meters installed and validated by 30 March 2025.
Water Plan Area
Water Management Area (WMA)
Condamine and Balonne
All remaining water entitlements to take surface water.
All remaining water entitlements to take groundwater.
Condamine and Balonne Tributaries WMA
- Zone CBT-01
- Zone CBT-02
- Zone CBT-03
Northern Weir River and Weir River (in policy) Water licences to take groundwater from the Balonne River Alluvium or the Maranoa River Alluvium in the St George Alluvium (Condamine and Balonne (deep), Condamine and Balonne (shallow) Warrego, Paroo, Bulloo and Nebine
All remaining water entitlements to take surface water.
All remaining water entitlements to take groundwater.
Water licences to take form the shallow groundwater units.
GABORA
Surat Hutton groundwater sub-area
Border Rivers and Moonie
Underground WMA
All remaining water entitlements to take surface water.
All remaining water entitlements to take groundwater.
Water licences to take from the shallow groundwater units.
Border Rivers Underground WMA
Contact us
North
metering hotline: 1800 822 100
email waterservicesnorth@rdmw.qld.gov.au
South
metering hotline: 07 3330 5441
email qmdbmetering@rdmw.qld.gov.au
More information
- How we’re strengthening water measurement in Queensland, including legislative changes and state-wide implementation of modern water metering.
- Read about water metering in Queensland.
- Read the information for water users in newly declared metered entitlement areas (PDF, 877KB).
- Read about revalidating your non-urban water meter in Queensland (PDF, 1MB).
- Contact your local business centre or phone 13 QGOV (13 74 68).
Last updated: 14 May 2024