Australian Water Use

Australia is a dry country with its sweeping deserts and rugged outback - receiving on average, only 500mm of rainfall annually.

Today’s Fun Fact Wednesday will look at how water is consumed in Australia.

Every five years the Australian Bureau of Statistics prepares Australia’s Water Accounts which detail our uses of water and its consumption.

The last accounts, prepared in 2004-05 showed some interesting facts:

1. Australia’s total water use equalled 80,000 gigalitres¹;
2. Of the total water used, over 75% was returned to the environment with 18,767 gigalitres being consumed;
3. Major consumers of this 18,767 gigalitres were Agriculture (65%) and Households (11%);
4. This household water consumption equates to 285 litres per person per day. US household water consumption by comparison equates to 262 litres per person per day.

1. 1 gigalitre = 500 Olympic swimming pools