Esperance groundwater allocation plan

The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (the Department) manages and regulates groundwater in Esperance, while the Water Corporation is responsible for operating the public drinking water supply scheme and planning for future public water needs. 

Groundwater is the lifeblood of Esperance's water supply, with the town and surrounding communities relying on the Superficial aquifer as their primary source of fresh water. The aquifer is a narrow, shallow underground water source bounded by the Southern Ocean to the south and the salty Lake Warden wetland system to the north. Due to its location and natural characteristics, the aquifer is particularly vulnerable to increasing salinity over time. 

Protecting groundwater is essential, not only for people and businesses but also for the wetlands, lakes and urban vegetation that depend on healthy groundwater conditions. 

Groundwater monitoring in Esperance indicates the Superficial aquifer is facing increasing stress from groundwater abstraction, compounded by broader factors, such as changing climate conditions and increasing groundwater use. 

Although the long-term drying trend in Esperance is less pronounced than in areas further west, such as Albany, climate records indicate temperatures have increased and seasonal rainfall patterns have shifted. Low-rainfall years during the cooler months are becoming more frequent, while rainfall in the warmer months has increased in recent years. Temperatures during the warmer months have also risen by almost 2°C since the mid-1950s. If these trends continue, they may further influence groundwater conditions and water use, including vegetation water requirements and the salinity of lakes and wetlands. 

Studies have shown groundwater abstraction is contributing to increasing salinity in parts of the Superficial aquifer. This issue was first outlined in the Esperance groundwater allocation plan evaluation 2012–2020, which highlighted the need to better understand and manage the factors affecting groundwater quality. 

Since that evaluation, the Department has continued to improve its understanding of the Superficial aquifer through historical climate analysis, airborne electromagnetic surveys, water metering, and ongoing water level and water quality monitoring. Water quality monitoring has confirmed increasing salinity in parts of the aquifer, reducing groundwater quality and affecting the aquifer's ability to sustainably meet future water needs. 

The Department manages groundwater resources in Esperance through a water licensing framework, with applications assessed according to relevant statewide policies and guidance. The Esperance groundwater allocation plan evaluation 2012–2020 updated the subarea boundaries and allocation limits established in the previous Esperance groundwater area water management plan 2007 to reflect the more current understanding of the resource. 

The Department is continuing to monitor groundwater conditions and work with water users and stakeholders to improve understanding of the resource and inform future management decisions. For the latest information on water availability and licensing, please visit Water Register. 

Esperance’s groundwater area was proclaimed in 1973 under the Rights in Water and Irrigation Act 1914 to regulate how groundwater is taken and protect the long-term availability of the resource. Anyone wishing to take and use groundwater within the area must hold a water licence. 

The town of Esperance is located within the groundwater area, about 725 km south-east of Perth on the Southern Ocean coast. The groundwater area covers a narrow coastal strip of about 360 km2 extending from Lake Gore in the east and Coramup Road in the west, which varies in width between 3 km to 10 km. 

The Esperance groundwater supply, which provides drinking water for the town, is protected by managing land uses and associated activities in the Esperance Water Reserve water source protection area. The reserve was proclaimed under the Country Areas Water Supply Act 1947 in 1970, with boundary realignments in 2001 and 2013 to support the ongoing protection of the drinking water source. The water source protection area closely aligns with the groundwater area boundary. 

Groundwater used in Esperance is sourced from the sedimentary aquifers of the Eucla Basin and fractured rock aquifers. The Eucla Basin is a large geological formation extending along Western Australia’s southern coastline. 

The Superficial aquifer, which is the uppermost sedimentary aquifer, is the primary groundwater source for Esperance and is crucial for both public water supply and private groundwater use. Esperance’s lake and wetland systems have formed where the Superficial aquifer intersects with the land surface, highlighting the close connection between groundwater resources and the local environment.

The population of Esperance relies almost entirely on groundwater to meet its public and private water needs. 

Groundwater is primarily used for: 

• public water supply for the town of Esperance (primary use) 

• irrigation of public open spaces, including parks, schools and sporting grounds 

• industrial activities, including abattoir operations and industrial processing 

• commercial irrigation, such as horticulture, turf production, golf courses and pasture production 

• domestic gardens, stock watering and firefighting. 

Most groundwater uses require a water licence. However, licences are generally not required for stock watering, firefighting or domestic bores for garden watering. 

Groundwater from Esperance is carted to surrounding communities, including Salmon Gums, Grass Patch, Cascades and Munglinup. These communities also receive carted water from local supplies or, when available, from Norseman via the Goldfields and Agricultural Water Supply pipeline. 

Groundwater also supports the natural environment in and around Esperance, including urban vegetation, wetlands and lakes that depend on healthy groundwater conditions. 

More information on Esperance groundwater is available at the links below: