Australia is the driest inhabited continent, yet we are one of the highest users of water in the world.

The current drought conditions, the low water levels in reservoirs and associated water restrictions, and the ecological crisis affecting our river systems have brought public attention to the need to revalue this scarce resource in our daily lives. While some of these situations may improve in the short term, the issue of securing a sustainable water supply for Melbourne is an ongoing concern and will continue to be shaped by three critical factors:

• increasing climate variability;
• Melbourne's projected population growth of 32% over the next 50 years; and
• the realisation that building new dams and other major capital infrastructure to secure new supplies of water will have an unacceptable environmental and social cost.

It has been estimated that by 2030 Melbourne's water supply will not be able to meet the needs of Melbourne's population.

As domestic water use accounts for 60% of all water used in Melbourne, changing the way people think about and use this scarce resource is a key strategy to securing a sustainable water future for Melbourne. The Victorian Government aims to reduce domestic water consumption by 15% (or seven buckets less per person per day) by 2010.

Melburnians have already made a significant effort to conserve water. Since the 1990s Melbourne’s household and industry water consumption has reduced steadily; by 28% at July 2007. Melbourne is now the most water efficient capital city in Australia.

How is our water used in Melbourne?

The current average total of Melbourne consumption is estimated at 420,000 megalitres. Residential use accounts for 60% of this, while commercial and industrial use accounts for around 30%.

How do we use our domestic water?

The average Melbourne household uses about 200,000 litres of water each year. The thirstiest part of the home is the shower (30%), followed by the garden (20%) and tap or bath use (19%). The clotheswasher uses 16%, the toilet 14% and the dishwasher 1%.

A slowly dripping tap can waste about 1,600 litres of water a month. That's nearly 20,000 litres a year!

The most important sites for reducing water are the garden, bathroom and toilet.

The shower is the highest user of water in the bathroom. It is estimated that only 30% of showers in Melbourne's homes have low flow shower heads. Older style showerheads can use up to 20 litres of water a minute. By simply shortening the time under the shower from seven minutes to four, there would be a saving of over 21,000 litres per person per year. Changing people's habits and encouraging the use of water efficient appliances will create significant water savings in this part of the home.

A leaking toilet can waste up to 16,000 litres of water a year. Modern dual-flush toilets use only 3 or 6 litres of water per flush. This is 30% less than older dual-flush cisterns, and up to 67% less per flush than single-flush toilets. A family of four can save over 35,000 litres of water a year by installing a modern dual-flush toilet.

20% of total household water consumption occurs outside the home, mostly on the garden. This is a significant leisure activity for Melburnians and advice and tips on how to minimise water use in this area without seriously affecting the garden are featured in the stories on this website.

The stories of water saving from Melbourne households offer us ideas and inspiration for how we can rethink how we use and value water in our daily lives. As our lives become increasingly shaped by the limits of this natural resource, these 'urban pioneers' are opening the way to a more sustainable water future.

References

Melbourne Water, July 2007, Sustainability Report 2006/2007

Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment, April 2006, Central Region Sustainable Water Strategy Action to 2055

Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment, June 2007, Our Water Our Future: The Next Stage of the Government’s Plan

Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment, June 2004, Securing our Water Future Together: White Paper

Water Resources Strategy Committee for the Melbourne Area, October 2002, 21st century Melbourne: a WaterSmart City (final report)