Water is a precious resource. Find out what you can do to save water and what the City is doing to reduce its groundwater and scheme water usage.
Western Australia's population is growing and we are experiencing lower than average rainfall. This has contributed to a drop in stream flow to dams and increased reliance on groundwater and desalination. Understanding how we use water can help to conserve our water resources. Recent research by the Water Corporation indicates that Perth residents use 106,000 litres of water per person per household each year. While the amount of water an average person in Perth uses has reduced from 128,000 litres in 2000/01, Perth remains one of the highest water using cities in Australia per capita.
Residential water use accounts for 71% of all scheme water use therefore, collectively, households have the greatest potential to make a significant contribution to reducing Perth's overall water use.
We pour over 40% of our good quality drinking water onto gardens, while one quarter of household water consumption is used in showers and baths. We flush 9% of our household water down the toilet followed by 7% used for washing machines, 6% through taps, 4% for evaporative air conditioning, while a further 4% is lost through leaks.