State of the Environment

2006

Indicator: IW-09 Groundwater used for urban/industrial

Data

Mains water supply - groundwater—2000– 01
NSW/ACT
ML		 Vic
ML		 Qld
ML		 SA
ML		 WA
ML		 Tas
ML		 NT
ML		 Aust
ML
Groundwater 68 953 105 844 84 162 18 342.00 249 861 — 3 681 530 843

(a) Water supply, sewerage and drainage services industry

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2004, Account Australia 2000-2001, cat. No. 4610.0, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra, viewed 15 Nov 2005, http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf
/Lookup/D828F04237840B07CA256F4C007155B3, Table 3.12, p. 41,

Mean annual groundwater use (GL) by use categories
Irrigation Urban/ Industrial Rural In situ Total
New South Wales 643 160 205 0 1 008
Victoria 431 127 54 10 622
Queensland 816 265 541 0 1 622
Western Australia 280 821 37 0 1 138
South Australia 354 23 42 24 419
Tasmania 9 7 4 0 20
Northern Territory 47 48 33 0 128
Australian Capital Territory 2 0 3 0 5
Total 2 582 1 451 919 34 4 962

Source: National Land and Water Resources Audit 2001, Australian Water Resources Assessment 2000, Land and Water Australia, Canberra, viewed 13 Apr 2005, http://audit.ea.gov.au/ANRA/water/docs/national/Water_Use.html, Table 23,

Change in mean annual groundwater use between 1983/84 and 1996/97
Total use 1983/84 groundwater (GL) Total use 1996/97 groundwater (GL) Percent change in groundwater use 1983/84 - 1996/97
New South Wales 318 1 008 217
Victoria 206 622 202
Queensland 1 121 1 622 45
Western Australia 373 1 138 205
South Australia 542 419 -22
Tasmania 9 20 122
Northern Territory 65 128 97
Australian Capital Territory n/a 5 -
Total 2 634 4 962 88

Source: National Land and Water Resources Audit 2001, Australian Water Resources Assessment 2000, Land and Water Australia, Canberra, viewed 13 Apr 2005, http://audit.ea.gov.au/ANRA/water/docs/national/Water_Use.html, Table 22,

What the data mean

The urban/industrial sector is a minor user of groundwater. Groundwater usage rate continues to increase.

Data Limitations

No recent data available.

Issues for which this is an indicator and why

Inland Waters - Catchment scale influences - Hydrological condition - Ground-water availability and human use 

Quantity of groundwater used for urban and industrial purposes is a direct measure of this pressure and the effectiveness of management responses to it.

Other indicators for this issue:

Inland Waters - Human response - policy and management - Management of surface and groundwaters 

An understanding of groundwater use will improve management of resources that rely on groundwater for their continued existence, such as groundwater dependent ecosystems. Quantity of groundwater used for urban and industrial purposes is a direct measure of this pressure and the effectiveness of management responses to it.

Other indicators for this issue:

Human Settlements - Pressures created by human settlements on the environment - Water use 

Quantity of groundwater used for irrigation is a direct measure of one aspect of water use.

Other indicators for this issue:

Key

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