Urban regions: Overview
- Average to wet conditions were experienced across most urban regions within southern Australia.
- Storages in South East Queensland were at their lowest levels in more than 11 years.
- As at 30 June 2021, storages were full in Canberra and nearly full in Sydney.
Climate and Water
Rainfall across southern Australia during July 2020–June 2021
compared with historical records (1900–2021)
- Average to above-average annual rainfall occurred across much of southern Australia, including most of the urban regions. Sydney and Canberra experienced higher than average rainfall in 2020–21. In contrast, annual rainfall in South East Queensland was below average for sixth consecutive year.
- Rainfall was mostly average during the 2020–21 financial year with some very wet months that brought the annual rainfall above average.
- Very heavy rainfall events impacted coastal New South Wales in December 2020 and March 2021.
Percentage-full volume during 1 July 2013–30 June 2021 for urban region
storages
- Storage volumes in Sydney started to increase following heavy rainfall in early-February 2020. Total storage further increased during 2020-21 to reach a record high. Sydney's largest urban supply dam Warragamba was spilling in March 2021 following heavy rainfall event.
- Similar to Sydney, Canberra storages remained full for most of 2020–21, with the Cotter dam spilling for months.
- Storage volumes in South East Queensland, Perth and Adelaide at 30 June 2021 were similar to the previous year.
- In South East Queensland, storage volumes at 30 June 2020 were at their lowest end-of-year level in more than 11 years, similar to the previous year.
- In Melbourne, storage volumes increased and reached to the highest levels in last four years.
Water sources and supply
Total water sourced in the urban regions for 2020–21
- Total water sourced by the urban regions was 2,509 GL.
- Surface water made up 58% of total water supply and was the predominant source of water in all urban regions except for Perth.
- In 2020–21, desalinated water made up 12% of total water supply compared to 15% in the previous year. Relatively better conditions during the year, particularly during the latter half of 2020, meant urban utilities opted to reduce their reliance on desalinated water supply to meet urban demand.
- Groundwater use remained similar to previous year.
Users of water in the urban regions for 2020–21
- 73% of total water supply in urban regions was used for the urban system.
- Individual users, including the industrial, commercial and agricultural sectors, accounted for 24% of water supplied.
- In contrast to other urban regions, more than half of Perth’s water supply was for individual users, primarily for agricultural use.
- The National Water Account presents the volumes of water supplied to urban systems, irrigation schemes, and individual users for each region. The Bureau's National Performance Report focuses on water supplied to urban systems.
Urban water use
Urban system water sources and volumes for years 30 June 2013–30 June
2021
- Total water sourced for the urban systems decreased slightly compared to last year, reflecting wetter conditions and reduced water demand for most of the urban regions.
- In Sydney, desalinated water use reduced from 13% to 3% following higher rainfall and increased surface water storage volumes.
- In Melbourne, the contribution of desalinated water to urban supply was a record high 26%. The Melbourne Water Corporation opted to increase its reliance on desalinated water in 2020–21 following the very dry conditions in the previous year.
- In Perth, low storage inflows following a dry winter in 2020 meant more desalinated water was required to meet urban demand; the region's two desalination plants were run at near capacity, similar to the 3-year period between 2015–2018.
- In Adelaide, inter-region transfers from the River Murray were 54% of the total water sourced. Inter–region transfers remained the main source of urban supply for the third consecutive year due to the continued low inflow into the region's storages.