Water Efficiency Report

The Water Efficiency Report outlines Sydney Water’s water efficiency initiatives including residential, business and school programs.

Sydney Water also supports the initiatives of other agencies including regulations such as Water Wise Rules, BASIX and WELS. These programs are supported by community education and research and development activities.

Sydney Water customers have taken significant steps to save water. In 2010-11, water use in Sydney was about 304 litres a day, a reduction of about 122 litres a day since 1999. This figure includes water used by households, industry and some irrigation. It is well below the Operating Licence water conservation target of 329 litres a day.

In 2010-11, water conservation initiatives saved an additional 4,403 million litres a year of drinking water. This brings the total to date to about 121,106 million litres a year of water saved since 1999 (see diagram). These water savings have been achieved through:

• water efficiency programs, including:
  • residential programs (17,556 million litres a year)
  • business programs (25,247 million litres a year)
• leak management programs (30,908 million litres a year)
• recycled water projects that replace drinking water use (13,036 million litres a year)
• regulatory measures (33,856 million litres a year) and
• water efficiency and recycled water initiatives implemented by other government agencies and businesses.

Sydney Water first developed a water conservation strategy in 1995 to reduce demand and meet targets set in the Operating Licence.

Sydney Water has prepared a five year water conservation strategy (2010 - 2015) (PDF - 187KB)

Yearly water savings achieved since 1999