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16 - Overcoming water scarcity in Perth, Western Australia

from III. 1 - Water and waste water treatment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 August 2011

By
Geoffrey J. Syme  and
Blair E. Nancarrow
Edited by
R. Quentin Grafton  and
Karen Hussey
Geoffrey J. Syme
Affiliation:
Edith Cowan University
Blair E. Nancarrow
Affiliation:
Wembley, WA
R. Quentin Grafton
Affiliation:
Australian National University, Canberra
Karen Hussey
Affiliation:
Australian National University, Canberra
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Summary

Introduction

Perth is a rapidly growing city, isolated from the rest of Australia's major population centres, with a green environment that has been maintained over recent years despite a period of low rainfall and strong evidence of a drying climate. Perth's population has steadily grown over recent decades, approximately doubling from about 800000 in 1980 to just over 1.6 million now. The population is predicted to be approximately 2.3 million by the year 2030 (Western Australia Planning Commission, 2005). Thus the requirement for water can be expected to increase even if demand management programs are intensified.

Residential water use comprises about three-quarters of the total scheme water use and is therefore of major significance in planning for future sources or increased water efficiency. The Water Corporation has estimated that if the current per capita usage of 145 kilolitres (kl) per person per annum is maintained, there will be a need to supply an additional 120 gigalitres (Gl) of water to the Perth Metropolitan area from new sources by 2030. If a demand management program reduces consumption to 125 kl per person per annum as has been projected, new sources will have to provide about 70 Gl (Water Corporation, 2009). Currently about 47% of household water is used outdoors.

This ‘new’ water will have to be provided in an environment which has already been subjected to a climate change that has reduced runoff to reservoirs from 400 Gl per year in 1950 to a projection of about 100 Gl in 2030.

Type
Chapter
Information
Water Resources Planning and Management , pp. 355 - 366
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

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