Beneficial Use
Last updated on April 5, 2016Any person authorized to divert water is required to make beneficial use of water.
Beneficial use means that the water is used for the purpose and in the quantity described in the licence or approval, and that the water is used as efficiently as practicable.
If you use groundwater for domestic purposes, unrecorded water, or water that does not require authorization, you must make beneficial use of water by limiting waste and using the water efficiently.
Declaration of Beneficial Use
You may be required to submit a declaration outlining your use of the water as described in your licence. As part of the declaration, you may need to complete a water conservation audit. After receiving your declaration, the Water Manager may order you to meet a specified level of efficiency or conservation.
While only licensees are required to submit declarations, approval holders and other water users may be required to submit information to the Water Manager detailing the amount of water they are diverting and using.
Loss of Rights
Failure to make beneficial use of water under an authorization may lead to the licence or approval being suspended or cancelled. Authorizations may be cancelled when the approval holder or licensee has not beneficially used the water for a period of more than three years.
Thirty Year Licence Reviews
Beneficial use may be one of the requirements reviewed as part of a 30-year licence review. Licence reviews allow the terms and conditions of a licence to be updated to reflect more efficient technologies, practices, information and works.