Water Use
Discussion
How is water being used in Australia? What value is being added to it?
One way to conserve water in Australia would be to cut back on those uses which add less value to the water.
This could be facilitated by putting a levy on water use that would make water too expensive for low-value-adding uses.The levy would be set at an amount that would reduce water consumption by the desired amount, eg to set aside water needed for the natural environment. (See: water allocation.)
Readings
Water Use - Australia
Australians Use More than 1 Million Litres of Fresh Water per Person per Year. ABS. 2000.5.3
Despite living on the driest continent on earth, Australians used more than 1 million litres of fresh water per person during 1996-97.
Water consumed in Australia 1996-7
|
|
Gigalitres |
% |
|
Total |
22186 |
100 |
|
Agriculture |
15502 |
70 |
|
Households |
1829 |
8 |
|
Water supply, sewerage and drainage services |
1706 |
8 |
|
Electricity and gas |
1308 |
6 |
|
Manufacturing |
725 |
3 |
|
Mining |
570 |
3 |
Agriculture consumed the vast majority of the water, but the economic return per unit of water used was relatively low.
Industry earnings (gross product) per water used
|
Industry Sector |
$/kL |
|
Agriculture |
0.59 |
|
Manufacturing |
32-680 |
|
Service Industries |
2.30-1,100 |
Irrigated production accounted for 26 percent of the total gross value of production from agriculture.
(Irrigated) agriculture earnings (gross product) per water used
|
Crop |
$/kL |
|
Vegetables |
1.760 |
|
Fruit |
1.460 |
|
Rice |
0.189 |
Water Use - Australia
The Influence of Lifestyles on Environmental Pressure. Year Book Australia. ABS. 2002
More than two-thirds of Australian water is used for irrigating crops for animal and human consumption. All other industry sectors use comparatively small amounts.
Agricultural water use percentage by sector - percentage of water use
|
Sector |
Percentage of human water use |
Amount where 100% = 22000 GL |
|
Livestock and pastures |
38 |
8360 |
|
Sugar |
7 |
1540 |
|
Rice |
7 |
1540 |
|
Cotton |
6 |
1320 |
|
Fruit and vegetables |
6 |
1320 |
|
Grains excluding rice |
3 |
660 |
Embodied Water Intensities
Embodied water intensities describe the amount of water needed throughout the whole economy in order to provide final consumers with one dollar's worth of various goods or services, or in other words, the amount of water embodied in that one dollar's worth of quantity. Agricultural products have the highest water intensities, followed by food items and manufacturing and mining products. Services are characterised by low water intensities.
Embodied Water Intensities: Selected Goods and Services Produced in Australia
|
Product |
Litres/$ |
$/kL |
|
Rice (in the husk) |
7459 |
0.13 |
|
Seed cotton |
1600 |
0.63 |
|
Sugar cane |
1239 |
0.81 |
|
Dairy products |
680 |
1.47 |
|
Wine |
503 |
2.00 |
|
Beef products |
381 |
2.60 |
|
Vegetables and fruit |
103 |
9.70 |
|
Clothing |
90 |
11.00 |
|
Paper products |
30 |
33.00 |
|
Coal, ores and other mining products |
30 |
33.00 |
|
Motor vehicles |
15 |
67.00 |
|
Electronic equipment, TV, household appliances |
16 |
63.00 |
|
Phone, Fax and mail |
11 |
91.00 |
|
Banking and insurance |
7 |
143.00 |
|
Education and health |
7 |
143.00 |
Water Use - Australia
Australian Water Use Statistics (PDF). Michael Dunlop. CSIRO. 2001
Water Account, Australia 2000-2001. ABS. 2004
Water Consumption, Employment and Industry Gross Value Added (IGVA), by Selected Industries 2000-01
|
|
Water consumption |
Employment |
IGVA |
Gross Value per Water Used |
|
|
GL |
no. |
$m |
$/kL |
|
Agriculture(a) |
16,660 |
369,379 |
9,618 |
0.58 |
|
Forestry and fishing(b) |
27 |
62,288 |
1,546 |
57.30 |
|
Mining |
401 |
78,891 |
33,975 |
84.70 |
|
Manufacturing |
866 |
1,101,669 |
73,354 |
84.70 |
|
Electricity and gas supply |
1,688 |
48,159 |
11,129 |
6.60 |
|
Water supply(c) |
1,794 |
19,067 |
4,222 |
2.35 |
|
Other |
832 |
7,386,258 |
405,776 |
488.00 |
|
(a) Water consumption and Industry Gross Value Added (IGVA) for irrigated agriculture only. Employment represents all irrigated and non-irrigated agriculture. (b) Includes services to agriculture; hunting and trapping. (c) Includes sewerage and drainage services. |
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Library
Water Resources and Use in Australia. Planet Water
2007.7.3