Aerial view of a winding river through green landscape at dawn
River Balance Monitor

River Balance Monitoring for sustainable economic growth.

Near real-time water balance information helping governments and investors improve water security, strengthen economic confidence and protect river systems.

Near real-time
monitoring
Plan for 90%
supply reliability
Basin → local
scale
Decision
support

01 — What is RBM

Track every drop, in near real-time.

River Balance Monitor (RBM) tracks the movement and availability of water across a river system in near real-time. It helps water managers understand how much water is available, how conditions are changing and how water can be managed more sustainably.

RBM weighs water coming in and out of each source — including losses from evaporation and infiltration, and extraction — and surfaces transparent, actionable insights for government ministries, communities, businesses and investors.

Real-time tracking
Sustainable use limits
Transparency & trust

02 — Why it matters

Reliable water information underpins every decision.

Better water security

Equitable distribution for businesses, farmers and communities.

Drought preparedness

Forecasting and early signals so agencies can act before stress.

Smarter investment planning

Align public and private projects with available water resources.

Environmental protection

Safeguards environmental flows and the health of river ecosystems.

Confidence for industry

Agriculture, manufacturing and cities can plan with certainty.

Inclusive access

Empowers rural communities with data to make informed decisions.

03 — Economic growth example

Secure water. Growing economies. Protected rivers.

Here's how a single wet-season water balance translates into productivity, public revenue, household supply and ecological resilience.

Wet season — water available for use
3,061 MCM

High-security water identified by RBM across the river system — the pool that gets allocated below.

Updated in near real-time
Breakdown of water use — share of 3,061 MCM

Where every megalitre goes.

Bars show share of total available water
Water use
500 MCM
Banana plantation
16.3% of 3,061 MCM
Gross revenue
$819M USD
p.a.
Water use
2,000 MCM
Late wet-season rice crop
65.3% of 3,061 MCM
Gross revenue
$43M USD
p.a.
Water use
50 MCM
Domestic water supply
1.6% of 3,061 MCM
Households served
1.4M
100% reliable supply
Water use
511 MCM
Remaining available water
16.7% of 3,061 MCM
Reserved
Buffer
for environment & future use
~$172M USD Government Return
Approximately 20% tax return from agricultural revenue — reinvested in public services and infrastructure.

"Reliable water information helps optimise economic growth while maintaining system resilience and protecting communities."

04 — Key benefits

Built for every stakeholder.

RBM ensures secure, sustainable water access for key sectors — empowering decisions from the farm to the cabinet room.

For Government

Strengthens public trust and aligns investment planning with available water resources.

For Business

Critical data for agriculture, manufacturing and tourism to plan profitably and sustainably.

For Communities

Real-time, equitable access — protecting rural and vulnerable users.

05 — RBM in action

See how decision-makers use RBM.

Water balance dashboard

What
Available water, demands and allocation scenarios at a glance.
Why it matters
Gives agencies a single source of truth for allocation decisions.
How RBM helps
Supports allocation scenarios, gross revenue modelling and tax forecasts.

Basin & user mapping

What
Interactive maps of hydropower, irrigators and other water users.
Why it matters
Reveals where pressure sits and how users interact at basin scale.
How RBM helps
Enables targeted engagement with the right stakeholders.

Water source modelling

What
How water moves between rivers, reservoirs, aquifers and rainfall.
Why it matters
Captures losses from evaporation, infiltration and extraction accurately.
How RBM helps
Underpins the Plan for 90% high-security reliability metric used for planning.

Click any image to view it full-size.

06 — Services

End-to-end RBM implementation support.

WaterNOW supports the full implementation of River Balance Monitor (RBM) systems — from first idea through to long-term operation. We focus on projects with a strong likelihood of successful implementation and long-term impact.

If you have an idea or potential project, please get in touch to discuss opportunities.

Project concept development

Shaping ideas into investable, fit-for-purpose RBM projects.

Funding & investor engagement

Securing funding support and connecting with development partners and investors.

Project design

Tailoring RBM architecture, data flows and stakeholder workflows to each basin.

Implementation & integration

Hands-on technical roll out and integration with existing systems and agencies.

Training & operational support

Building local capability and providing ongoing support after go-live.

Long-term impact focus

We prioritise projects with a strong likelihood of successful, lasting outcomes.

07 — Contact

Let's talk about your river system.

Whether you're a government, basin agency or development partner — we'd love to discuss how RBM could support your water management goals.

contact@waternow.com.au
Adelaide, Australia