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SWIMMING POOLS AND GARDENS


SWIMMING POOLS

In October 2009, there were 280,500 Queensland households with a private swimming pool at their dwelling. This represented 17% of the total 1,654,000 households in Queensland (table 4.1).


Water sources for filling or topping up swimming pools

Households could have used multiple water sources to fill or top up their swimming pool. Mains/town water was used by 47% (131,600) of households, 42% (116,600) used water from a dam or rainwater tank, and 23% (65,200) used rainfall.

While 250,600 households with swimming pools used mains water as a water source for their dwelling, 52% (130,600) also used this water source to fill or top up their pool. Of the 149,100 households with swimming pools that used rain, storm or dam water as a water source for their dwelling, 71% (105,200) used water from their dam or rainwater tank to fill or top up their pool (table 4.2).

Pool filter hours

There were 276,400 households with private swimming pools that were filled. Of these, 13% (36,500) used the pool filter for two hours or less per day on average, while 41% (112,400) averaged three to five hours per day. A further 41% (112,300) used the pool filter for an average of six hours or more per day (table 4.3).


GARDENS

In October 2009, 84% (1,391,500) of Queensland households had a dwelling with a garden. A garden is defined as a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. It can incorporate both natural and man-made material and excludes lawns or grass only (table 4.4).

Watering the garden

Households could have used multiple water sources to water their garden. An irrigation watering system was used by 24% (329,300) of households with a garden. An irrigation watering system is any device or piping that renders watering the garden easier than by hand held hose or bucketing.

There were 576,100 households with a garden at their dwelling that also had a rainwater tank. Of these, 29% (165,200) also had an irrigation watering system. Where households had a garden at their dwelling and no rainwater tank, 20% (164,100) had an irrigation watering system (table 4.5).

PROPORTION OF HOUSEHOLDS WITH A GARDEN(a), Whether has rainwater tank by whether has irrigation system: Qld - Oct 2009

4.1 WHETHER HOUSEHOLD HAS A PRIVATE SWIMMING POOL AT THEIR DWELLING: Qld - Oct. 2009
	Not applicable(a)	Has pool	No pool	Total
Number ('000)	199.4	280.5	1 174.1	1 654.0
Proportion (%)	12.1	17.0	71.0	100.0
(a) Only households in separate houses, semi-detached, row or terrace houses were asked if their private dwelling had a pool.

4.2 HOUSEHOLDS WITH POOLS, Water sources for filling or topping up pool - Water source for dwelling: Qld - Oct. 2009
Water source for dwelling		Mains water/ town water(a)	Dam/rainwater tank	Rely on rainfall	Other(b)	Pool empty/ Not topped up/ Don't know	Total households(c)
Number ('000)
	Mains water(a)	130.6	100.3	61.5	*4.4	*6.0	250.6
	Rain/storm/dam water	32.4	105.2	31.8	*13.5	*2.8	149.1
	Other(d)	21.9	26.9	11.4	14.5	**1.8	66.2
	Total households(c)	131.6	116.6	65.2	15.9	*6.9	280.5
Proportion (%)
	Mains water(a)	52.1	40.0	24.6	*1.7	*2.4	100.0
	Rain/storm/dam water	21.7	70.6	21.3	9.1	*1.9	100.0
	Other(d)	33.1	40.7	17.3	21.9	**2.7	100.0
	Total households(c)	46.9	41.6	23.2	5.7	*2.4	100.0
* estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution ** estimate has a relative standard error greater than 50% and is considered too unreliable for general use
(a) Includes water transported in.
(b) Includes bore or other water.
(c) Totals do not equal sum of items as more than one source of water may be specified.
(d) Includes grey, bore, creek, river, channel or other water.

4.3 HOUSEHOLDS WITH FILLED SWIMMING POOLS, Number of hours per day pool filter used: Qld - Oct. 2009
	2 hours or less	3-5 hours	6 hours or more	Pool not filtered daily	Don't know	Total
Number ('000)	36.5	112.4	112.3	7.3	*7.9	276.4
Proportion (%)	13.2	40.7	40.6	*2.6	*2.9	100.0
* estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution

4.4 HOUSEHOLDS, With or without a garden: Qld - Oct. 2009
	With garden(a)	Without garden	Total
Number ('000)	1 391.5	262.5	1 654.0
Proportion (%)	84.1	15.9	100.0
(a) Excludes lawns only.

4.5 HOUSEHOLDS WITH A GARDEN, Whether has rainwater tank - Whether has irrigation watering system: Qld - Oct. 2009
		Has an irrigation watering system	No irrigation watering system	Total
Number ('000)
	No rainwater tank	164.1	651.3	815.4
	Has rainwater tank	165.2	410.9	576.1
	Total	329.3	1 062.2	1 391.5
Proportion (%)
	No rainwater tank	20.1	79.9	100.0
	Has rainwater tank	28.7	71.3	100.0
	Total	23.7	76.3	100.0