Metering Guidance Tool 

Welcome to the NSW Water Metering Guidance Tool This guidance tool is designed to assist you in determining your compliance requirements with the NSW non-urban water metering regulations. These regulations mandate the installation of compliant metering devices for water supply works unless specific exemptions apply. Purpose of this tool
  • To guide you through understanding how the non-urban metering rules apply to your specific water supply works.
  • To help you identify necessary actions to ensure compliance.
Who should use this tool? You will answer a series of questions regarding the specifics of your water supply works. Estimated completion time is under 10 minutes. Use this tool if you have:
  • a water supply work approval
  • any water licence linked to the work approval
  • constructed any of the water supply works that are authorised by that approval.
You can access your works approval information and linked licences by visiting the
NSW Water Register.   A 'water supply work' refers to any infrastructure that takes water from a water source such as a pump, bore, or similar equipment. It can also include infrastructure that is used to capture, store water, reticulate or distribute water that has already been taken from a water source, such as a river or an aquifer.


This tool operates anonymously and does not store any personal data or session information.

Exemptions for water access licences and water works approval.  

You may be eligible for an exemption depending on your circumstances. 

Learn more about water licensing and approvals exemptions on the department’s website.
No meter required, but you must report your water take.


You can find more information on recording and reporting on the WaterNSW website  


Basic landholder rights exemption 

Mandatory metering requirements do not apply. This exemption does not apply if you are also using the same works to take licensed water.

Learn more: Basic landholder rights
Please press submit to end the tool. 
No meter required.
Please press submit below to have a copy of the outcome emailed to you and/or to end the tool.
No meter required but you will need to notify your licensing authority when you construct and you may then need to meter. 
Please press submit to end the tool. 
No meter required but you will need to notify your licensing authority. It may be an offence if you take water.

Note: if temporarily trading water, both the buyer and seller are required to have a meter in place. This is a requirement under the Access Dealing Licence Principles Order (2004). 
Please press submit to end the tool. 



Required to meter. You need to be compliant now. A duly qualified person (DQP) must install an AS4747 pattern approved meter and telemetry. 

You can find a list of DQPs on the Irrigation Australia website.
Please press submit to end the tool. 

Not required to meter. You are exempt under small works.

Please press submit to end the tool. 


Not required to meter. You are exempt under small works.

Please press submit to end the tool. 

Metering required. You must install a pattern approved meter. However, telemetry and installation by a duly qualified person (DQP) is optional.

All works must be metered by 1 December 2027 or your works renewal date, whichever is later (you can find this date in the water register).

 For a list of pattern approved meters, visit the Commonwealth Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Non-urban water metering framework and guidelines webpage. Please press submit to end the tool. 
No meter required but you must record and report your water take.

You can find more information on recording and reporting on the WaterNSW website.

Please press submit to end the tool. 

Metering required. You need to be compliant by 1 December 2026.

A duly qualified person (DQP) must install an AS4747 pattern approved meter and telemetry.

Please press submit to end the tool. 
Metering required. You need to be compliant now.

A duly qualified person (DQP) must install an AS4747 pattern approved meter and telemetry.

You can find a list of DQPs on the Irrigation Australia website.

Please press submit to end the tool. 

NSW DCCEEW - Water Group