MAKING it mandatory for water licence holders to submit photographic evidence when providing their meter reading is one of the recommendations put to the SA Department for Environment and Water, as a result of the latest audit by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority.
MDBA's Office of Compliance acting head Di Mead said the review found the SA DEW had adequate systems in place to record, report and validate metered surface water extraction in the Riverland region, but with some room for improvement.
"We are satisfied DEW's systems for recording and reporting metered surface-water extraction are adequate, however we have recommended improvements to strengthen the integrity of the self-meter read system," Ms Mead said.
"We've recommended DEW consider making it mandatory for all licence holders to submit photographic evidence when providing their meter reading, to reduce the risk of water use being misreported, either accidentally or deliberately."
Ms Mead said accurate metering information would assist water users in running their businesses while maintaining the trust of everyone who relied on the water resources of the Basin.
Systems and procedures to keep track of water used in the SA Riverland are in good shape overall, according to the latest audit by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority of state government water metering practices.
The audit report can be found on the MDBA website.
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