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Water consumption at lowest levels
since 1983Lowest water consumption recorded since 1983

Tuesday 11 January 20100

Melbourne households, businesses and industry used 346 billion litres of water in 2010 - the lowest consumption since 1983.

The significant drop in water use comes on the back of above-average rain and runoff into Melbourne’s dams, with storages starting the year at 37.5 per cent full, and finishing at 53.7 per cent - a gain of about 10 months’ water supply for Melbourne.
 

Water Industry Spokesperson and Yarra Valley Water Managing Director, Tony Kelly, said with 2010 consumption at its lowest since 1983 it is clear customers have locked in water wise behaviours.

“Melburnians are to be congratulated for their 2010 water saving efforts, with total water consumption 3.6 per cent, or 36 million litres a day, lower than 2009. This is equivalent to 12 Olympic size swimming pools,” he said.

“On New Years Eve when the mercury hit 40 degrees Melburnians used 1.2 billion litres which is well below what we’ve seen historically.

“The 2010 average for hot days was 1.25 billion litres, which is 24 percent less than hot days in 2006 when average consumption was 1.65 billion litres. Similarly overall average consumption last year was 21 per cent less than in 2006.

“There has been a noticeable shift in water use with Melburnians going above and beyond the call to save water. As a result we were able to relax restrictions to Stage 2 on September 1 2010 and introduce warm season grass exemptions,” he added.

Mr Kelly said while the water wise behaviour of customers combined with good rainfall had put water storages in a more positive position in 2011, the future climate was unpredictable.

“In 2006 conditions changed dramatically and it is possible for that to happen again. Just look at the volatile weather patterns around Australia right now, with the floods in Queensland and continued drought in Western Australia. We need to prepare now for the future and maintain our water wise behaviour,” said Mr Kelly.

Melbourne Water’s Manager of Water Supply, John Woodland, said storages had staged a remarkable turnaround from an all-time low of around 25 per cent just 18 months ago.

“Dam levels can drop as quickly as they rise - just over five years ago storages were 60 per cent before dipping below 30 per cent less than two years later,” he said.