Deputy director general, David Harriss, says this increase in water availability is chiefly the result of increased inflows in the Snowy Mountains, meaning more water can be diverted into the Murray and Murrumbidgee valleys this year.

In the Murrumbidgee Valley, these inflows have been sufficient to increase water availability to high security users, while in the Murray Valley the additional water will enable a flush to be released in to the central Murray tributaries, including the Wakool River and Niemur-Colligen systems.

This flush will provide much needed stock and domestic water and benefit the environment.

Town water supply and stock and domestic allocations will continue on 50pc of entitlement for both valleys.

General security licence holders in the Murray and Murrumbidgee Valleys will remain on zero per cent of entitlement.

“Rainfall and stream flows are well below the long-term average in most areas of the southern Basin and with the warmer, drier months approaching, contingency planning is continuing.

Significant rainfall is needed to turn this situation around,” said Mr Harriss

Detailed information on water assessments in both the Murrumbidgee and Murray valleys is available in the Department’s Critical Water Planning communiqués, released on the 15th of each month.

The communiqués are available online at www.dwe.nsw.gov.au