Metro weekly water update 21 September 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 627 million litres, which was above the forecast of 574 million litres.  Since 1 July 2018 we have used 49 billion litres of water - this is about 4 billion litres above what we had forecast.

Dam level (total for 15 dams)

The dam storage level has increased by 1 billion litre over the last week and they are at sitting at 59%* 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.

From 1 May 2018 to 20 September 2018 the dams have received 114 billion litres of streamflow.  The post 1975 average for the May to September period is 145 billion litres.

Sprinkler roster compliance

The summer sprinkler roster now applies but there’s no need to rush out and turn your sprinklers on as gardens are still getting plenty of water from rainfall. Our team of inspectors issued 55 warnings and 9 fines this week.  Since 1 January 2018, we have taken a total of 6306 actions (warnings + fines) compared with 7417 actions for the same period in 2017.

Annual rainfall

Perth has received 692 mm of rainfall since January this year.  The cumulative average rainfall for January to December is 732.8 mm. 

General water news
 
You know Spring’s well and truly arrived when the football Grand Final’s nearly here, the Royal Show’s about to take place, days seem noticeably longer, purple wisterias are in full bloom everywhere and – suddenly – it’s hot again.

That often brings an irresistible urge to ‘put the sprinklers on’, but we want you to fight that urge, because the garden won’t die – trust us!

With Western Australians’ penchant for outdoor living, it’s no surprise we love our gardens, but is it time to re-think what your garden might actually look like?

Did you know 45% of all our household water goes on gardens? Not showers, not dishwashers, but watering the front and back yard. When you think about that, it makes it so much more important to re-evaluate some old ideas about what a waterwise garden can be. With some clever design and creativity, gardens these days can be lush, peaceful and useful places without being incredibly thirsty.

Water Corporation wants you to be terrific, waterwise gardeners and we can help in a range of ways. This website has some terrific resources – all you need to do is click that mouse!

Right here there are ideas on how to design a waterwise garden and choose great plants that can handle our climate. You can find a handy list of Waterwise Irrigation Design Shops and irrigators endorsed by the Water Corporation. These are businesses with the know-how to help you realise that waterwise garden dream….because we’ve checked them out! Lastly, don’t forget even the simple things make a big difference to WA’s water conservation efforts. Right now, one of the best things you can do is to delay turning your sprinkler controller to ‘auto’ until you absolutely must.

We’re already a community that understands the importance of water, but the exciting thing is we – and you – can do so much more to ensure we continue to have water into the future. Happy gardening!