Perth Weekly Water Update - 3 June 2022
| Target | Actual | |
|---|---|---|
| June water use to date |
1.4 billion litres |
1.3 billion litres |
| Dam storage levels | N/A | 50.9% |
| Monthly streamflow into dams | N/A | 0 billion litres |
| June rainfall to date | 173.1mm (June average rainfall 1876-2016) | 0.8mm |
| 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 694 million litres per day – slightly below the demand forecast of 698 million litres per day.
Daily water use for the last five days
| Date | Actual water use (million litres) | Forecast water use (million litres) |
|---|---|---|
| 03/06/2022 | 674 | 688 |
| 02/06/2022 | 611 | 688 |
| 01/06/2022 | 672 | 688 |
| 31/05/2022 | 756 | 688 |
| 30/05/2022 | 645 | 710 |
| 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 289.28 billion litres of water – which is 9.82 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 50.9 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 2022, the dams have received 0.3 billion litres of streamflow. The post-1975 average for the May to April period (called the streamflow year) is 177.1 billion litres.
Sprinkler roster compliance
Since 1 January 2022, we have taken a total of 2,254 actions (warnings + fines) compared with 2,398 actions for the same period in 2021.
Annual rainfall
Perth has received 167.2mm of rainfall since 1 January 2022. The average (1876-2016) rainfall for the same period to the end of June is 375.9mm.
General water news
The McGowan Government today released the finalised plan to rebalance Perth and Mandurah's precious groundwater resources, which are at risk from the impacts of climate change and increasing use.
As part of the plan, the domestic garden bore sprinkler roster will align with the two-days-per-week sprinkler roster for scheme water users in Perth and Mandurah from September 1, 2022, saving up to 30GL per year.
Garden bores currently draw about one fifth (22 per cent or around 90GL) of groundwater taken from aquifers in the Perth and Mandurah area, mostly for irrigating lawns and gardens.
The majority of households in Perth and Mandurah have been on the two-day sprinkler roster for more than 20 years and have managed to have healthy and vibrant gardens.
No infringements will be issued during the first 12 months, with a focus placed on an education campaign to enable garden bore owners to adapt to the sprinkler roster change and implement waterwise measures into their gardens.
The State Government, through Water Corporation, is committing $6.5 million in funding to assist households with making their gardens more water efficient. This includes rebates on smart irrigation technology, spring sprinkler system check-ups and waterwise workshops.
Information on water efficient gardening and products, along with how to apply for rebates, will be available on the Water Corporation website at Waterwise Advice.
The new plan can be found at gnangara.dwer.wa.gov.au and wa.gov.au.