Australian
Statistics
The following is an extract from :-
Water
Account 2000/2001
Water Account, Australia, 2000-01 (cat. no. 4610.0) presents
information on the supply and use of water in the Australian
economy in 2000-01, compiled in accordance with the System
of Integrated Environmental and Economic Accounting (SEEA).
The information within the publication is separated by industry,
state and territory, and source of water used. Information
on water stocks, environmental flows and water trading can
also be found in the publication. Comparisons with information
in the first water account (ABS 2000) must be made with caution,
owing to changes in data sources and some concepts
Main findings
In 2000-01 a total of 24,909 GL was consumed in the Australian
economy.
Agriculture consumed the largest volume of water with 16,660
GL, representing 67% of water consumption in Australia in
2000-01. The largest consumers of water within the Agriculture
industry were Livestock, pasture, grains and other agriculture
(5,568 GL), Cotton (2,908 GL), Dairy farming (2,834 GL) and
Rice (1,951 GL) industries.
Excluding in-stream use, water consumption by the Electricity
and gas supply industry in 2000-01 was 1,688 GL or 7% of water
consumption in Australia.
Water consumption by the Household sector was 2,181 GL in
2000-01 accounting for 9% of water consumption in Australia.
This compares with 1,829 GL in 1996-97 where water accounted
for 8% of water consumption.
In 2000-01, the Manufacturing industry consumed 866 GL or
4% of total water consumption in Australia.
The Mining industry consumed 401 GL or 2% of water consumption
in Australia in 2000-01.
Water consumption for the remaining industries was 859 GL
in 2000-01 representing 3% of water consumption in Australia.
The Cultural, recreational and personal services industry
accounted for 46% (or 832 GL) of water consumption by the
remaining industries.
The use of reuse water has increased dramatically from 134,424
ML in 1996-97 to 516,563 ML in 2000-01.
Increases in reuse water use occurred in most industries between
1996-97 and 2000-01. The greatest increase in reuse water
use was in the Agriculture industry, where reuse water use
increased from 38,118 ML in 1996-97 to 423,264 ML in 2000-01.
Reuse water made up 4% of total water supplied by water providers
in 2000-01. This compares to 1% in 1996-97.
In 2000-01 there were 479 water providers in Australia, collectively
supplying 12,784 GL of mains water. This volume was 11% higher
than in 1996-97.
Surface water is by far the greatest source of water for the
Water supply, sewerage and drainage services industry, with
12,042 GL or 94% of total mains water being derived from this
source in 2000-01.
Water storages
While the value of the water supply and storage infrastructure
is a matter of some debate, the storage capacity of large
dams in each state and territory (except the Australian Capital
Territory) is available from the ANCOLD Register of Large
Dams. There are approximately 500 large dams in Australia
with a storage capacity of 84,793 GL. Tasmania (24,340 GL)
and New South Wales (24,814 GL) have the largest storage capacity,
while the Australian Capital Territory (124 GL) and South
Australia (261 GL) have the least. Most of Australia's dam
capacity has been built since 1970.
WATER STORAGE CAPACITY OF LARGE DAMS, Australia-1857-2001
Australia's water resources - an overview
audit.ea.gov.au/anra/water/resources
Australia's estimated total water supply in 1996/97 was 80,363
Gigalitres (GL) - of this supply 85% was "self extracted",
14% as mains supply, and <1% as effluent reuse. In addition,
some 49,480 GL was supplied as regulated discharge (ABS Water
Account, 2000).
On average 24,000 GL of Australia's water is used per year.
Of this, 19,000 GL of water is used from surface water sources.
20,623 GL of surface water is allocated to consumptive use.
5,000 GL of water is used from groundwater sources per year.
6,300 GL of groundwater is allocated to consumptive use.
Irrigation accounts for 75% of total water use.
Water usage has increased by 9,400 GL/yr or 65% since 1985.
34 of 325 basins and 59 of 538 groundwater management units
are assessed as being highly or overdeveloped.
Urban water use in a number of the State capitals (while
variable) declined over the 1990s. Industrial use is not large
and is falling as industries become more water efficient-in
some cases achieved indirectly as a result of energy efficiency
gains (AATSE/IAE, 1999)
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