1. Drier weather sees us turning on the taps
Agriculture and household demand drove a rise in total water consumption nationally, up 13 per cent.
Although rainfall was 12 per cent lower in 2023–24 and storages fell by 8 per cent, dam levels were very high at the beginning of the year. This meant that more water was available and used when conditions began turning dry.
2. Water use surged…
Average household water use increased 4 per cent in 2023–24 to 174 kL per household, after five years of water use steadily decreasing.
The hotter weather drove that rise, along with population growth.
3. …but we’re becoming more efficient
Households have steadily been using less water over the past decade, from 190 kL per household in 2015–16 to 174 kL per household in 2023–24.
This means households were generally managing their water use better during dry and hot periods, and gardens were already greener because we had more rain.
Households used the least amount of water in 2022–23, which was a particularly wet year influenced by La Niña climate conditions.
4. Farmers tap into their water banks
Agriculture led the surge in water use, with consumption jumping 15 per cent and utility-supplied water rising by 21 per cent. This was due to a dry finish to the year occurring during a time of very high water storages.
5. Slowing the sparks
National hydroelectricity water use fell by almost a quarter (22 per cent), largely due to dry conditions in Tasmania where we get most of our hydroelectricity. This explains the counterintuitive fall in hydro usage despite overall water consumption rising.
BONUS FACT – new insights beamed in via satellite
This release features insights using existing data sources, such as satellite data, meaning we can offer better, more granular data and Australian farmers spend much less time answering survey questions.
Find more interesting insights from the latest release of Water Account, Australia 2023–24
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