Metro weekly water update - 30 October 2020
| Target | Actual | |
|---|---|---|
| October water use to date | 23 billion litres |
24.1 billion litres |
| Dam storage levels | NA | 50.1 per cent |
| Monthly streamflow into dams | N/A | 3.38 billion litres |
| October rainfall to date | 51.5 mm (Oct average rainfall 1876-2016) | 12.6 mm |
| Note: 1 billion litres = approximately 400 Olympic swimming pools. Please note the figures in this table are rounded (except for rainfall) to the nearest whole number. | ||
Water use
Average water use over the past week was 907 million litres per day, which was above the forecast of 812 million litres.
Daily water use for the last 5 days
| Date | Actual water use (million litres) | Forecast water use (million litres) |
|---|---|---|
| 30/10/2020 | 958 | 825 |
| 29/10/2020 | 867 | 825 |
| 28/10/2020 | 857 | 825 |
| 27/10/2020 | 880 | 825 |
| 26/10/2020 | 1052 | 793 |
| Note, water use is calculated up to 8am each day for the previous 24 hour period. | ||
Since 1 July 2020, we have used 78.82 billion litres of water – which is 0.33 billion litres above the forecast target for this period.
Dam levels (total for 15 dams)
The dam storage levels have decreased slightly this week and are sitting at a combined 50.1 per cent* of full capacity.
*Please note some dams are filled from different sources - dam levels include the transfer of groundwater and desalinated seawater from treatment plants as well as streamflow (that comes from rainfall). As we use many different sources of water, dams are no longer an accurate indicator of the health of Perth's overall water supply situation.
Streamflow (total for 15 dams)
From 1 May 2020 the dams have received 38.1 billion litres of streamflow. The post-1975 average for the May to April period (called the streamflow year) is 176.73 billion litres.
Sprinkler roster compliance
Since 1 January 2020, we have taken a total of 4806 actions (warnings + fines) compared with 7336 actions for the same period in 2019.
Annual rainfall
Perth has received 581.4 mm of rainfall since 1 January 2020. The average (1994-2019) rainfall for the same period to the end of October is 694.1 mm.
General water news
Water Minister Dave Kelly announced this week a new $1.5 million Water Efficient Public Schools Program, which seeks to reduce water use and improve water efficiency in WA public schools over the next 12 months.
In partnership with the Department of Education, public schools identified as being high water users will undergo infrastructure upgrades to toilets, urinals, water fountains and air-conditioning systems, to make them more water efficient. Other efficiency measures include the installation of rainwater tanks, waterwise landscaping, and connection to alternative water sources.
The Program aims to reduce water use by up to 10 per cent per school, saving 60 million litres in the first year and 840 million litres over the lifetime of the upgrades – reducing both water demand and school operating costs.
In addition to upgrades, schools will be provided the opportunity to participate in Water Corporation’s Waterwise Schools Program, which seeks to educate young people about the importance of saving water so that they have the knowledge and skills to make responsible decisions about their water use in the future.
To find out more about the Water Efficient Public Schools Program, or about Water Corporation’s Waterwise Schools Program, please visit www.watercorporation.com.au.