Target

Actual

September water use to date

6.2 billion litres

6.3 billion litres

Dam storage levels

N/A

49.8 per cent

Monthly streamflow into dams

N/A

6.73 billion litres

September rainfall to date

81 mm

(September average rainfall 1876-2016)

54.8 mm

Note: 1 billion litres = approx. 400 Olympic swimming pools. Please note the figures in this table are rounded (except for rainfall) to the nearest whole number.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Water use

 

Average water use over the past week was 625 million litres per day, which was below the forecast of 626 million litres.

 

Daily water use for the last five days

Date

Actual water use (million litres)

Forecast (million litres)

11/09/2020

625

633

10/09/2020

656

633

9/09/2020

647

633

8/09/2020

620

633

7/09/2020

619

616

Note: water use is calculated up to 8am each day for the previous 24 hour period

 

Since 1 July 2020 to date, we have used 42.65 billion litres of water – which is 0.38 billion litres under the forecast target for this period.

 

Dam level (total for 15 dams)

The dam storage levels have risen slightly this week and are sitting at a combined 49.8 per cent* of full capacity.

 

*Please note some dams are filled from different sources - dam levels include the transfer of groundwater and desalinated seawater from treatment plants as well as streamflow (that comes from rainfall).  As we use many different sources of water, dams are no longer an accurate indicator of the health of Perth's overall water supply situation.

 

Streamflow (total for 15 dams)

From 1 May 2020 the dams have received 27.8 billion litres of streamflow.  The post-1975 average for the May to April period (called the streamflow year) is 176.06 billion litres.

 

Sprinkler roster compliance

 

Since 1 January 2020, we have taken a total of 4315 actions (warnings + fines) compared with 6166 actions for the same period in 2019.

 

Annual rainfall

 

Perth has received 545mm of rainfall since 1 January 2020. The average (1994-2019) rainfall for the same period to the end of September is 656.2 mm.

 

General water news

 

Water Corporation’s South West team is pitching in to help researchers understand more about one of WA’s most unusual-looking creatures – the endangered lamprey.

 

Last week, staff from Water Corporation’s Warren-Blackwood District and students from Pemberton District High School joined Murdoch University researchers to help monitor the annual lamprey migration, which occurs from August to October.

 

A “lamprey ladder” has been installed at Pemberton’s Lefroy Brook Weir – a lamprey spawning ground - to help make the final leg of the creature’s journey a little easier.  

 

To learn more about our work supporting this important research, click here.

 

Spring is here and a return to warmer weather is just around the corner! What better time prepare your home garden for summer. We have been working with Waterwise Councilsto create cooler, greener and more sustainable neighbourhoods through a program called the Waterwise Greening Scheme.

 

Many Waterwise Councils across Perth are using the scheme to support initiatives for residents, such as:

  • waterwise verge transformations
  • waterwise gardening competitions
  • waterwise workshops
  • street tree planting

So far, the program has helped purchase 47,600 waterwise plants, 520 waterwise trees and co-funded 209 waterwise verge makeovers.