4610.0 - Water Account, Australia, 2009-10

Quality Declaration

ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 29/11/2011

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Contents >> Water supply sewerage and drainage >> Reuse water and Origin of reuse water

REUSE WATER

Reuse or recycled water is an important option for securing water supply into the future. There is increasing investment in infrastructure related to the supply of reuse water, and as such there is considerable interest in the volumes of reuse water supplied and used. Reuse or recycled water is provided for purposes including: agricultural irrigation; 'third pipe' systems in new urban developments; watering of community sports grounds and parks; and supply to industry. In addition, water management authorities are interested in whether reuse water is reducing the demand for distributed water or self-extracted water.

In 2009–10, the total volume of reuse water supplied was 374 GL, more than a third (34% or 127 GL) was supplied in New South Wales and more than a quarter (26% or 98 GL) in Victoria.

The Agriculture industry remained the largest user of reuse water across all industries in Australia (34% of total reuse water or 126 GL) followed by the Water supply industry (28% or 105 GL) and by Other industries (21% or 78 GL). Other industries includes industries relating to the operation and maintenance of parks, gardens and sporting fields (see the Glossary for a complete list of Other industries).

USE OF REUSE WATER(a), by industry— 2009–10

	NSW	Vic.	Qld	SA	WA	Tas.	NT	ACT	Aust.
	ML	ML	ML	ML	ML	ML	ML	ML	ML

Agriculture	54 550	34 015	10 056	21 269	4 932	1 311	7	21	126 160
Forestry and fishing	155	-	2 905	-	-	-	-	-	3 060
Mining	5 956	2 697	72	15	316	1	-	-	9 057
Manufacturing	10 558	4 986	7 815	840	5 586	176	5	25	29 990
Electricity and gas supply	1 515	3 743	13 934	-	530	-	-	-	19 721
Water supply(b)	26 126	33 268	7 767	3 233	2 736	679	-	30 821	104 630
Other industries(c)	25 631	18 455	18 674	6 444	3 368	4 316	1 221	152	78 262
Household	2 210	584	50	242	20	-	-	-	3 106

Total	126 701	97 748	61 273	32 042	17 488	6 483	1 233	31 019	373 987

- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
(a) Includes reuse supplied by major, non-major urban, minor urban, irrigation and other water providers.
(b) Includes sewerage and drainage services.
(c) Includes mainly services and administrative industries.

ORIGIN OF REUSE WATER

The table below presents reuse water supply (see Explanatory Notes, paragraph 17) by type of water supplier in 2009–10. Of the total 412 GL of reuse water collected, 87% (357 GL) came from wastewater with the remainder coming from drainage and stormwater. It is likely that drainage water from irrigation/rural water providers makes a significant contribution to reuse water supply, but this is mostly unmeasured. In some cases, distributed water can also be mixed with reuse water. Of the States and Territories, reuse water supply from wastewater was highest in Victoria (117 GL or 33%), followed by Queensland (79 GL or 22%).

WASTEWATER, STORMWATER AND DRAINAGE WATER COLLECTED(a)— 2009–10

		NSW	Vic.	Qld	SA	WA	Tas.	NT	ACT	Aust.
		ML	ML	ML	ML	ML	ML	ML	ML	ML

Wastewater
	Major urban	40 417	85 618	42 228	25 447	16 850	6 483	1 233	30 922	249 198
	Non-major urban	22 442	18 766	14 917	-	-	-	-	-	56 125
	Minor urban	11 117	-	21 390	239	547	-	-	-	33 293
	Irrigation/rural	-	12 515	762	5 492	-	-	-	-	18 769
	Total	73 976	116 899	79 297	31 178	17 397	6 483	1 233	30 922	357 385
Stormwater
	Major urban	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	97	97
	Non-major urban	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
	Minor urban	160	-	-	1 653	91	-	-	-	1 904
	Irrigation/rural	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
	Total	160	-	-	1 653	91	-	-	97	2 001
Drainage water
	Major urban	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
	Non-major urban	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
	Minor urban	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
	Irrigation/rural	52 570	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	52 570
	Total	52 570	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	52 570
Total
	Major urban	40 417	85 618	42 228	25 447	16 850	6 483	1 233	31 019	249 295
	Non-major urban	22 442	18 766	14 917	-	-	-	-	-	56 125
	Minor urban	11 277	-	21 390	1 892	638	-	-	-	35 197
	Irrigation/rural	52 570	12 515	762	5 492	-	-	-	-	71 339

	Total	126 706	116 899	79 297	32 831	17 488	6 483	1 233	31 019	411 956

(a) Reuse collected may be either supplied to customers or used by the Water supply industry.

The table below describes the supply of distributed water and reuse water by water providers. 59% of the distributed water in Australia was supplied by irrigation/rural water providers, more than a quarter by major urban water providers (26%). In New South Wales, 70% of all distributed water in the state was supplied by irrigation/rural water providers. In contrast, 61% of reuse water in Australia was supplied by major urban water providers and only 19% by irrigation/rural water providers.

TOTAL DISTRIBUTED AND REUSE WATER SUPPLY(a)(b), by provider type— 2009–10

		NSW	Vic.	Qld	SA	WA	Tas.	NT	ACT	Aust.
		ML	ML	ML	ML	ML	ML	ML	ML	ML

Distributed water
	Major urban	736 275	558 459	272 140	221 124	443 845	90 611	58 870	47 817	2 429 141
	Non-major urban	151 639	456 569	112 570	-	10 310	-	-	-	731 088
	Minor urban	102 562	-	268 231	3 503	1 246	-	-	-	375 542
	Irrigation/rural	2 400 951	1 369 831	1 337 722	154 111	249 496	69 562	-	-	5 581 673
	Other(c)	55 004	2 364	80 572	938	9 958	135 353	3 709	-	287 898
	Total	3 446 431	2 387 223	2 071 235	379 676	714 855	295 526	62 579	47 817	9 405 342
Reuse water
	Major urban	40 417	66 467	39 562	24 880	16 850	6 483	1 233	31 019	226 911
	Non-major urban	22 441	18 766	14 917	-	-	-	-	-	56 124
	Minor urban	11 273	-	6 032	1 670	638	-	-	-	19 613
	Irrigation/rural	52 570	12 515	762	5 492	-	-	-	-	71 339
	Other(c)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
	Total	126 701	97 748	61 273	32 042	17 488	6 483	1 233	31 019	373 987
Total
	Major urban	776 692	624 926	311 702	246 004	460 695	97 094	60 103	78 836	2 656 052
	Non-major urban	174 080	475 335	127 487	-	10 310	-	-	-	787 212
	Minor urban	113 835	-	274 263	5 173	1 884	-	-	-	395 155
	Irrigation/rural	2 453 521	1 382 346	1 338 484	159 603	249 496	69 562	-	-	5 653 012
	Other(c)	55 004	2 364	80 572	938	9 958	135 353	3 709	-	287 898

	Total	3 573 132	2 484 971	2 132 508	411 718	732 343	302 009	63 812	78 836	9 779 329

(a) Data represents gross water supply including water supplied to other water providers and customers, losses, own use by water providers, and environmental flows.
(b) Water supplied from one water provider to another is recorded against the original water provider.
(c) Includes water supplied by other industries including Mining, Manufacturing and Electricity and gas supply industries.