Perth weekly water update - 22 October
| Target | Actual | |
|---|---|---|
| October water use to date |
16.8 billion litres |
15.7 billion litres |
| Dam storage levels | N/A | 63% |
| Monthly streamflow into dams | N/A | 8.47 billion litres |
| October rainfall to date | 51.5 mm (October average rainfall 1876-2016) | 87 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 712 million litres per day – below the demand forecast of 792 million litres per day.
Daily water use for the last 5 days
| Date | Actual water use (million litres) | Forecast water use (million litres) |
|---|---|---|
| 22/10/2021 | 650 | 804 |
| 21/10/2021 | 663 | 804 |
| 20/10/2021 | 728 | 804 |
| 19/10/2021 | 713 | 804 |
| 18/10/2021 | 754 | 773 |
| Note, water use is calculated up to 8am each day for the previous 24 hour period. | ||
Since 1 July 2021 to date, we have used 73.45 billion litres of water – which is 0.69 billion litres above the forecast target for this period.
Dam levels (total for 15 dams)
The dam storage levels are slightly up on last week and are sitting at a combined 63 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 2021, the dams have received 125.3 billion litres of streamflow. The post-1975 average for the May to April period (called the streamflow year) is 178.7 billion litres.
Sprinkler roster compliance
Since 1 January 2021, we have taken a total of 4,662 actions (warnings + fines) compared with 4,687 actions for the same period in 2020.
Annual rainfall
Perth has received 804.6 mm of rainfall since 1 January 2021. The average (1876-2016) rainfall for the same period to the end of October is 809 mm.
General water news
This week is National Water Week, with this year’s theme ‘Caring for water and Country’ reminding us of the importance water plays in our lives, and how we can deepen our understanding of Australian First Nations people’s knowledge in protecting and sustaining our water and lands, as they have done for over 65,000 years.
To celebrate the week, we recognised the achievements of WA’s first Waterwise Perth Action Plan, which has delivered significant water savings (535 million litres to be precise), and enhanced Perth Peel region’s resilience to the impacts of climate change.
We also celebrated the record 32,809 WA students who participated in Water Corporation’s Waterwise Schools Program in 2020-21. For more than 25 years, the award-winning Waterwise Schools Program has adopted a long-term approach to water education and behavioural change, particularly complementing STEM subjects - science, technology, engineering and maths.
Finally, to help regional communities achieve their water-saving goals, Water Minister Dave Kelly announced new waterwise offers for regional communities as part of the Waterwise Towns Program. This includes offers for North West, South West, Mid-West, Goldfields and Agricultural Region, and Great Southern residents.
If National Water Week has inspired you to undertake your own water-saving journey, why not visit Water Corporation’s website for tips and tricks on how you can save water today. Visit www.watercorporation.com.au/Waterwise.