Metro weekly water update 9 November 2018

Note: 1 billion litres = approx. 400 Olympic swimming pools.  Please note these figures are rounded (except for rainfall) to the nearest whole number.

Water use

Average daily water use over the last week was 811 million litres, which was above the forecast of 790 million litres.  Since 1 July 2018 we have used 85 billion litres of water - this is about 6 billion litres above what we had forecast for this period.

Dam level (total for 15 dams)

The dam storage level has remained steady over the last week at 58 per cent* of full capacity.

*Please note some dams are filled from different sources and this increase may include the transfer of groundwater and desalinated seawater from treatment plants as well as streamflow (that comes from rainfall).  The percentage of full capacity number can also go up or down depending on how much water has been supplied to customers this week from dams.

Streamflow (total for 15 dams)

From 1 May 2018 to 1 November 2018 the dams have received 140 billion litres of streamflow.  The post-1975 average for the May to October period is 165 billion litres.

Sprinkler roster compliance

The two-day-a-week sprinkler roster now applies across Perth, so make sure your sprinklers are programmed for your rostered water days and only to come on once, either before 9am or after 6pm.

Our team of inspectors issued 94 warnings and 75 fines this week.  Since 1 January 2018, we have taken a total of 7230 actions (warnings + fines) compared with 8148 actions for the same period in 2017.

Annual rainfall

Perth has received 738.4 mm of rainfall since January this year.  The cumulative average rainfall for January to December is 732.8 mm.

General water news

We were swamped this week (in a good way) by emails and calls following an article in WA Today about our Waterwise Verge Incentive Scheme, which matches funding with local participating councils so you can receive up to $500 as a rebate to convert your verge to being waterwise.  Up to $10,000 is available per council each year.

A waterwise verge will not only save previous water as native gardens do not need as much water or maintenance as other types of gardens or lawn, but they also add to the visual appeal of your street and create a natural habitat for the local birds.

If you want your verge to turn waterwise, the first thing to do is contact your local council and find out if they have an incentive scheme, or offer free or subsidised native plants. You can also find some great tips on our website.