Indicator: HS-40 National water consumption
Data
| NSW/ACT | Vic | Qld | SA | WA | Tas | NT | Australia | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-extracted use (a) | 13 247 414 | 9 903 296 | 6 140 416 | 1 603 941 | 3 113 697 | 38 182 053 | 163 335 | 724 311 152 |
| Mains Water use (b) | 4 757 281 | 4 410 316 | 2 163 433 | 524 494 | 762 372 | 110 793 | 55 172 | 12 783 858 |
| Reuse water use (c) | 266 964 | 196 353 | 23 818 | 1 7 572 | 9 152 | 1 551 | 1 154 | 516 563 |
| In-stream use (d) | 4 089 432 | 2 959 872 | 1 453 515 | 1 888 | 1 763 573 | 37 766 411 | 4 362 | 48 039 054 |
| Regulated discharge (e) | 4 925 670 | 3 513 735 | 1 811 962 | 92 554 | 1 922 509 | 37 836 754 | 32 847 | 50 436 030 |
| Water Consumption (f) | 9 424 944 | 7 139 777 | 4 710 718 | 1 646 625 | 1 409 277 | 417 194 | 160 125 | 24 908 659 |
(a) Includes water extracted directly from the environment for use.
(b) Includes water supplied to a user usually through a non-natural network (piped/open channel or other carrier) where an economic transaction has occurred for the exchange of water regardless of method of delivery. Mains water is a subset of the Self-extracted total.
(c) Refers to wastewater that may have been treated to some extent and supplied to another user. It excludes water reused on-site.
(d) Refers to water discharged after use where that discharge does not match the natural flow regime of the receiving water body.
(e) This is a subset of Self-extracted water use.
(f) Water consumption = Self-extracted use + Mains water use + Reuse water use - Mains water supply - In-stream use.
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2004, Water Account Australia 2000-01, Australian Bureau of Statistics, viewed 15 Dec 2005, http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/b06660592430724fca2568b5007b8
619/9f319397d7a98db9ca256f4d007095d7!OpenDocument, pp. 16-31
More detailed information is available from the ABS National Water Account 2000-2001
What the data mean
During 2000-01 a total of 72 431 GL of water was extracted from the environment for use. This is a 5% increase over the 68 703 GL extracted in 1996-97.
Of the water extracted from the environment, 12 324 GL was supplied as mains water (11 525 GL in 1996-97) and 459 GL was returned to the environment as environmental flows.
Of the total volume extracted from the environment, 50 136 GL was returned to the environment as regulated discharge, with 48 039 GL of this discharge being in-stream use, almost entirely by the electricity and gas supply industry (47 544 GL) for hydro-electricity power generation.
A total of 24 909 GL of water was consumed 2000-01.
Data Limitations
In compiling the water account, the Australian Bureau of Statistics has accessed readily available data on water resources from various government and non-government organisations and aggregated these data. The project did not duplicate existing data collection activities, but tied together industry, regional and state and territory data into a single system showing the supply and use of water within the Australian economy.
Issues for which this is an indicator and why
Human Settlements — Pressures created by human settlements on the environment - Water use
Water is an important natural resource that supports both the environment and human settlements. It is of particular importance in Australia given the high level of variability in rainfall and current water resource management regimes. Water withdrawal is a major pressure on freshwater resources and monitoring national water consumption will help monitor the trend in overall water usage.
Other indicators for this issue:
- HS-41 Water consumption by sector
- HS-42 Water consumption per capita
- IW-03 Surface water used for irrigation
- IW-04 Surface water used for urban/industrial
- IW-08 Groundwater used for irrigation
- IW-09 Groundwater used for urban/industrial
- IW-11 Number of licences dams, weirs, regulators and levees
Inland Waters — Catchment scale influences — Hydrological condition - Surface-water availability and human use
Water used by human settlements is derived from surface water and groundwater sources. Extraction of water for human uses impact on the hydrological condition of natural water bodies. Monitoring national water consumption will help monitor pressure on surface water resources.
Other indicators for this issue:
- IW-01 Annual river discharge
- IW-02 Annual water storage
- IW-03 Surface water used for irrigation
- IW-04 Surface water used for urban/industrial
- IW-44 Sustainable yield determination
- HS-41 Water consumption by sector
- HS-42 Water consumption per capita
- HS-44 Urban stormwater and wastewater reuse
- HS-46 Usage of water efficient appliances
Further Information
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2004, Water Account Australia 2000-01, Cat. No. 4610.0, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra, viewed 9 Nov 2005, http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf
/Lookup/D828F04237840B07CA256F4C007155B3.
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