The 2026-27 irrigation season starts on August 15, with water entitlement holders able to place orders from August 10.
G-MW general manager of water delivery services Warren Blyth encouraged customers to check how much water they were entitled to use before placing an order.
“Before the season starts, we encourage customers to take the time to understand how much water they are entitled to use,” he said.
“Using more than your entitlement is an offence. Customers who use water in excess of their entitlement can be prosecuted under the Water Act 1989.”
Water users are also being urged to walk their properties and check on-farm irrigation infrastructure — including pumps and pipelines — for blockages or any other issues that could disrupt water delivery ahead of the season.
Depending on whether an irrigation system is fully modernised, orders require either 24 or 48 hours’ notice, although customers are encouraged to order earlier where possible.
Mr Blyth said irrigators should regularly monitor both their water use and available allocation throughout the season.
“Customers should ensure they have enough water available in their allocation bank account and allow enough time for allocation trades to be processed,” he said.
“They should also read their meters regularly and closely monitor the water they have used against their entitlement.”
Careful planning will be especially critical this season. G-MW has flagged that storage levels are lower than usual after two consecutive years of below-average inflows, meaning water availability may be tighter than in recent seasons.
Customers are being encouraged to assess their water requirements for the entire irrigation season and consider their options for securing sufficient allocation.
The new season will also mark the full transition to G-MW’s updated WaterLINE online ordering system, with the previous version no longer supported.
The new WaterLINE allows customers to manage orders, check their allocation bank account balance and monitor water flows and order status.
Online water orders open on August 10, ahead of deliveries beginning on August 15.
Customers can also place orders or contact G-MW about water entitlements and maintenance issues by phoning 1300 469 469.
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