Water use in Australia
Approximately three-quarters of all water used in the Australian economy in 2004-05 was returned to the environment. Of the remaining water, the agricultural sector used most, followed by households and the water supply industry, then manufacturing and other industries.
Water is used for everything from bathing and cooking through to irrigating crops and generating electricity. In some cases the water is used in place (e.g. recreational purposes) or is returned to the water supply after use (e.g. hydroelectricity generation). Other uses, such as irrigation and domestic use, consume water and make it unavailable for other uses for a time.
How much water do we use?
The latest Water Account from the Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that in 2004-05 Australia's total water use was nearly 80 000 gigalitres (1 gigalitre is approximately the amount of water in 500 olympic swimming pools). Around three-quarters of this water was returned to the environment. The remainder was consumed across the economy.
Who uses the water?
Water consumption in 2004-05 was 18 767 gigalitres. The sectors of the economy that used this water were:
- Agriculture: 65% (12 191 gigalitres)
- Household: 11% (2108 gigalitres)
- Water supply industry: 11% (2083 gigalitres)
- Other industries (including electricity and gas): 7.4% (1330 gigalitres)
- Manufacturing: 3% (589 gigalitres)
- Mining: 2% (413 gigalitres)
Of the water used by agriculture, most was used for irrigation of crops and pastures.
Household water consumption equates to 104 kilolitres of water per person per year, or 285 litres per person per day.
Where is the water used?
Levels of water use in the Murray-Darling Basin and in south-eastern Australia, south-east Queensland and south-west Western Australia are higher than in the rest of Australia. In fact, more than half of Australia's water use occurs in the Murray-Darling Basin, even though this area has only 6% of Australia's total surface water runoff.
Water access entitlements and allocations
In many areas of Australia, water use is managed through the granting of water access entitlements and water allocations.
A water access entitlement, such as a water licence, refers to an ongoing entitlement to exclusively access a share of water. A water allocation refers to the specific volume of water that is allocated to water access entitlements in a given season.
Entitlements are issued to major water supply authorities and local councils for town water supplies, as well as to commercial users such as those in the industrial, mining and agriculture sectors.
The total volume of water access entitlements in Australia was 29 831 gigalitres in 2004-05.
Trends in water use
Due to dry conditions and limited water availability water consumption in Australia decreased by nearly 3000 gigalitres or 14%, between 2000-01 and 2004-05.
Over the same period:
- Agricultural consumption was down 23%, largely due to the reduction in rice and cotton crops.
- Household consumption decreased 8%, to 103 kilolitres per person.
- Household use of reused or recycled water increased from 11% to 16%
- Mining industry water use increased by 29%, due to increased levels of mining activity, particularly in Western Australia.