Perth weekly water update - 8 January 2021
| Target | Actual | |
|---|---|---|
| January water use to date | 8.4 billion litres |
9 billion litres |
| Dam storage levels | N/A | 47.2 per cent |
| Monthly streamflow into dams | N/A | 0.7 billion litres |
| January rainfall to date | 9.7 mm (January average rainfall 1876-2016) | 0.0 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 1,127 million litres per day, which was above the forecast of 1,044 million litres.
Daily water use for the last 5 days
| Date | Actual water use (million litres) | Forecast water use (million litres) |
|---|---|---|
| 08/01/2021 | 1238 | 1,047 |
| 07/01/2021 | 1208 | 1,047 |
| 06/01/2021 | 1147 | 1,047 |
| 05/01/2021 | 1104 | 1,047 |
| 04/01/2021 | 1090 | 1,039 |
| Note, water use is calculated up to 8am each day for the previous 24 hour period. | ||
Since 1 July 2020, we have used 139.72 billion litres of water – which is 1.81 billion litres below 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 47.2 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 42.5 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 2021, we have taken a total of 143 actions (warnings + fines) compared with 258 actions for the same period in 2020.
Annual rainfall
Perth has received 0.00 mm of rainfall since 1 January 2021. The average (1994-2019) rainfall for the same period to the end of January is 19.7 mm.
General water news
It’s been a hot start to the new year already, and with temperatures predicted to soar this weekend, many of us will be relying on swimming pools, evaporative air conditions and frequent showers to help cool us down.
That is why we’ve come up with a few water-saving hacks to get your through these hot summer days, without racking up your water bill.
- Stick to your watering days and remember to water only once either before 9am or after 6pm.
- If you have a swimming pool, make sure to put your pool cover on after your swim. Doing so could save you up to 55 litres of water per day.
- Switch your evaporative air conditioner to the ‘fan only’ setting at night and on humid days. This will save you around 100 litres per hour.
- Keep showers under four minutes. To help you out, we’ve created a playlist of the greatest four minute hits here.
- Use a plug or bowl when washing vegetables instead of running them under a tap. A running tap could use up to 50 litres of water in just five minutes.
- Ensure your dishwasher is full before turning it on, and similarly, wait until your laundry will make a full load before doing.
Using less water is a critical part of Water Corporation’s plan to make Perth’s water supply more resilient to the community as climate change continues to impact our rainfall levels.