Urban water bills reduced in 2016–17

Did you know, the National Performance Report 2016–17: urban water utilities covers 182 indicators used to evaluate water utilities' performance, over 12 years, for more than 20 million customers across Australia. 84 urban water service providers reported data in 2016–17. It provides annual benchmarking of utilities, with a comparison of urban water use and cost in major cities and towns. Click on the image to link to www.bom.gov.au/water/npr

Selected statistics from the 2017 Urban NPR

Australia's urban water service providers saved water in 2016–17 due to above-average spring and summer rainfall across large parts of Australia, according to the National performance report 2016–17: urban water utilities (2017 Urban NPR) released in early March. 
 
The 2017 Urban NPR compares the performance of 84 providers against 182 performance indicators, servicing more than 20 million people across Australia.
 
The main highlights include:
  • In 2016–17, heavy rain in Adelaide decreased the demand for surface water and generation of desalinated water. The South Australian Water Corporation reported a 17 per cent decrease in the average volume of water supplied to Adelaide residents.
  • Nationally, the median volume of water supply to residential customers remained consistent with previous years.
  • Water Corporation, in Western Australia, increased its usage of desalinated marine water and returned a net 8,531 ML of water to surface water storages in the Perth region—banking this water to service the community in periods of high demand.
  • Nationally, the total volume of recycled water supplied decreased by 6 per cent, due to above average rainfall. 
  • The median typical residential bill decreased nationally by $32 per annum from 2015–16, curbing the upward trend of the last 8 years.
  • The national median operating cost per property decreased by 5 per cent from $940 in 2015–16, to $892 in 2016–17.
The report provides analysis on water resources, finance, pricing, assets, health, environment, and customer service, with commentary on how these indicators are affected by recent climatic conditions, utility size, and water source availability.
   
The National Performance Report 2016–17: urban water utilities is the fourth published by the Bureau of Meteorology, and the twelfth in its series.

The independent and public report helps consumers and governments determine whether water sector operations are efficient and cost effective. This benchmarking provides a catalyst for industry innovation, improved service delivery, and efficiency gains.