Consumption of water Australia FY 2015-2021, by sector

During the 2021 fiscal year, approximately 72.6 million megaliters of water were consumed by industry, while around 1.8 million megaliters were consumed by households across Australia. Overall, consumption of water had decreased in both sectors compared to the previous year.

Water usage in Australia

As most of the water supplied in Australia comes from surface water, such as rivers and lakes, ongoing drought has led to issues revolving around water security. Around three quarters of the country’s water usage was used for irrigation and industrial purposes. Agriculture was the largest water-consuming industry in general. While the Northern Territory had the highest per household consumption, water consumption varied significantly from region to region.

Drought in Australia

As Australia’s water demand continues to rise, the threat of water shortages has also increased. Australia has faced periods of drought throughout history and the more recent droughts have affected many regions across the country. The effects of drought can be linked to other catastrophic environmental events. The environmental and economic losses from the recent bushfires in Australia were particularly devastating.