Self-extracted water: the WSSS, EWS, EWES, EIS, and REACS surveys all collect data on self-extracted water use – these data are utilised directly. Self-extracted use for hydroelectricity is modelled using a combination of data collected directly from hydroelectricity companies and National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (NGER) data.
Distributed and reuse water: WSSS and EWS/EWES/EIS supply estimates set the total. WSSS sets control totals for ANZSIC divisions A, B, C, and D and is distributed based on subdivision ratios produced from the EWS/EWES/EIS and ANZSIC 3-digit division estimates from the REACS and the Agricultural census. EWS/EWES supply and the residual WSSS supply is allocated to other industries. Use by the Water supply, sewerage and drainage services industry is sourced from the WSSS and includes water losses in distribution.
Wastewater: all wastewater use/collection is currently assigned to the Water supply, sewerage and drainage services industry, and data is collected via the WSSS collection. While some other industries are likely treating a small amount of wastewater this would not involve wastewater transferring between institutional units and is therefore, out of scope.
Return flows: represent flows from the economy to the environment; under SEEA conventions (SEEA Water S 3.16) all return flows are attributed to the environment. Data collected via the WSSS, EWS, EWES and EIS.
Water use by industry: sum of self-extracted water, distributed water, wastewater and reuse water use.
Water consumption by industry: water use by industry minus the sum of supply of distributed water, supply of wastewater, supply of reuse water and supply of return flows to the environment. Note that for all industries and households, estimates of the supply of wastewater (usually to the sewerage system) are not available due to difficulties in the disaggregation of collected wastewater volumes by industry and households (wastewater service providers are usually able to provide estimates of total wastewater collected but find it difficult to report the origin of the wastewater, split by industry/households). This leads to an overestimation in water consumption at the industry and households level. This will be rectified in the future when the ABS is able to produce reliable wastewater estimates at industry and households level.
Note: environmental flows are out of scope in this edition of the WAA. Environmental flows relate to (a) statutory requirements to maintain specific water regimes or (b) specific entitlements, which accrue annual allocations of water that can be extracted (or left in-stream) for environmental purposes.