What are Australia’s water resources?
Water resource management poses significant ongoing challenges in Australia. Our annual water use is approximately 1.3 million litres per person, the third highest consumption rate in the world. The largest two uses of water in Australia are agriculture (67% or 16 700 GL, 2001-02) and domestic (i.e. households – 9% or 2 200 GL, 2001-02). Increasing strain on our water resources has resulted in a greater focus on the efficient management of all water sources in Australia. Many capital cities in Australia estimate that in the future they will not have sufficient water supplies to meet their growing populations. One water resource that has been under-utilised in Australia is ‘treated’ sewage water (commonly known as wastewater, recycled water or reclaimed water). Currently, less than 10% of this water resource is treated and utilised with the remainder being discharged at various points in the environment. However, there is growth in the use of recycled water for a variety of purposes. Re
