A water recovery, or long-term diversion limit equivalent (LTDLE), factor has been developed by the ACT for the entitlement. The Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) commissioned an independent review of the ACT’s planning assumptions regarding its entitlement and water recovery factor. The ACT Government has published a brochure on its LTDLE factor at Water Strategies and Plans.
This factor will be used to update the estimates of water recovered in the Australian Capital Territory and determine whether the water recovery targets for the shared reduction amount under the Basin Plan have been met.
In developing the factor, the ACT Government considered:
- water availability over the 114-year historical climate period
- modelled assumptions of potable and non-potable water use, and assumed no losses in NSW water moving through the ACT
- a modelling scenario where the long-term average net water take is equal to the SDL for the ACT under the Basin Plan
- local water management rules in the ACT, and
has confirmed the entitlement granted for the environment - held environmental water (HEW) is from non-urban water use.
The newly developed factor aligns with the ACT’s accredited water resource plan.
Last updated: 1 May 2025