Indicator assessment
CONDITION
TREND
DATA QUALITY
Total water consumption in the ACT and Queanbeyan remained fairly consistent during the decade 2013–14 to 2022–23, ranging from around 46,000 to 56,000 megalitres per year, despite increases in the population serviced. Per capita water use has also been fairly consistent, ranging from 66 to 83 kilolitres per person annually. This is far lower than the per capita water use in the early 2000s of around 120 kilolitres per person.
CONDITION
Environmental condition is healthy across the ACT, OR pressure likely to have negligible impact on environmental condition/human health.
Environmental condition is neither positive or negative and may be variable across the ACT, OR pressure likely to have limited impact on environmental condition/human health.
Environmental condition is under significant stress, OR pressure likely to have significant impact on environmental condition/ human health.
Data is insufficient to make an assessment of status and trends.
TREND
DATA QUALITY
Adequate high-quality evidence and high level of consensus.
Limited evidence or limited consensus.
Evidence and consensus too low to make an assessment.
Assessments of status, trends and data quality are not appropriate for the indicator.
Introduction
For information on this indicator see Background: Human Settlements.
This section examines the consumption of potable water in the ACT. Groundwater use is not reported in this section. Whilst some groundwater is used in the ACT for non-potable water supply, the volume is very small. In addition, the current use of groundwater does not represent a risk to groundwater resources.
Water use
The water consumption data reported here includes both the ACT and Queanbeyan. Potable water consumption remained fairly consistent between 2013–14 and 2022–23, ranging from around 46,000 to 56,000 megalitres per year (Figure 26). This consistent use has occurred despite population growth. Water usage in 2019–20 (around 56,000 megalitres), was the highest volume for over a decade. This increase was driven by three years of hotter and drier weather conditions. Water use decreased sharply in 2020–21 and 2021–22 in response to much wetter years.
Figure 26: Water consumption in the ACT by user, 2013–14 to 2022–23.
Data sourced from: Icon Water.
Notes: Non-residential users include the commercial and industrial sectors, hospitals and schools, city parks, and government buildings. Other includes non-potable water, raw water, leakage and the North Canberra Effluent Reuse Scheme.
The ACT uses over 90% of the supplied water, with Queanbeyan using around 7% to 9% annually. Residential supply is responsible for most water use in the ACT, accounting for around 60% to 66% of the total supplied annually. Non-residential uses typically accounted for between 20% and 25% of the total water supplied annually. Because the majority of the ACT’s water is used for residential supply, it is important to maintain and improve water use efficiency at the household level.
The main reason for the lack of growth in total annual water use in the ACT is the decrease in per capita water use since the early 2000s. This decrease was in response to the Millennium Drought and has been maintained since. Per capita water use has been fairly consistent during the decade 2013–14 to 2022–23, ranging from 66 to 83 kilolitres per person annually (Figure 27). This is far lower than the per capita water use in the early 2000s of around 120 kilolitres per person. Annual variations per capita water use included slight increases in dry years such as 2019–20 and decreases in the wetter years of 2021–22 and 2022–23.
Figure 27: Annual per capita water use in the ACT, 2013–14 to 2022–23.
Data sourced from: Icon Water.
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