About new water supply work and/or water use approval
Water supply work approvals allow you to construct and use a work that takes water from a river, lake, or underground aquifer. Water supply works include pumps, bores, dams, weirs, irrigation channels, banks, and levees.
Water use approvals allow you to use water on your land. Irrigation, town water supply, power generation and mining are examples of water uses that require water use approvals.
Note: You can apply for a combined water supply work and water supply use approval on a single application.
How to apply
What you need
The application form lists all the documents and searches that must be provided with the application. For assistance in conducting the searches, refer to the Guide to searches.
Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
Application form
Use these documents to apply for a new water supply work or water use approval:
- Application form for a new water supply work or water use approval (PDF, 397.83 KB)
- Guide to submitting a water supply work or water use approval (PDF, 196.58 KB)
Submit your application
Submit by email
Email your completed application form and any other documents it requires to waterlicensing.servicedesk@dpie.nsw.gov.au.
Fees *
Application fee: $1,708.86*
| Approval type | Lodgement fee | Additional fee | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Water supply work and/or water use approval | Groundwater | $2,197.07 | $391.20 required for advertising $2,864.02 required for technical referral |
| Pump | $2,719.08 | $607.12 required for advertising | |
| Dam | $2,690.55 | $701.55 required for advertising | |
*Fees and assessment times
*To find more information about related fees and applications visit the Fees and application forms page.
See the Assessment timeframes. page to find out how long your application will take.
Paying for your application
After we have accepted your application form, an officer from the department will call you to finalise your payment. You can pay the application fee by credit card or direct deposit.
Exemptions
For some entities, water licences, water supply works and water uses are exempt from needing approvals.
Find out which under Exemptions in the Water Management (General) Regulation 2018 (PDF, 190.95 KB).
Not sure about what you need?
We've developed the Water Assist tool to help you work out who to talk to and what steps to take to get the licences and approvals you need.