- Get involved
- Climate Change Fund
- Households
- Schools
- Councils
- Businesses
- Government agencies
- Farms
- Water Restrictions
- Fixing leaks
- Frequently asked questions
Saving Water
Greater Sydney has a very variable climate, with times of drought and times of abundant rainfall. With a growing population and the uncertainty of climate change impacts, we must all work together to make sure we have a secure water supply for the years to come.
Saving water is an important part of the NSW Government’s plan to secure our water supply and we’re making great progress. We are using the same amount of water now as in 1970, even though there are an extra one million people living in greater Sydney. This is thanks to households, businesses and the Government participating in water saving programs and making other changes.
The graph below shows the total water supplied per capita consumption. Click on the graph to view a larger image.
To reduce demand for water by using water wisely, the NSW Government has:
- provided 100,000 rebates to save water and one in four homes in Sydney have now taken part in Sydney Water's WaterFix program
- worked with 369 businesses in Sydney Water's Every Drop Counts Business Program and funded around 100 projects to save 23.6 billion litres of water a year
- helped big business and government develop 199 water savings action plans, with more to come
- helped households, schools and businesses save water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions with the $340 million Climate Change Fund.
In addition, all homes approved for construction are now designed to use 40 per cent less from the drinking water mains and long term water saving rules, to commence once drought restrictions are lifted, have been announced.
We can't be complacent and there are plenty of ways in which you get involved to continue to save water. By using water wisely, together with other initiatives, Sydney will have enough water to meet the needs of its growing population.
Find out what's next or download the 2007 Progress Report.
Frequently asked questions
- Why not just give everyone a rainwater tank to save water rather than investing in desalination?
- How much is being saved now?
- What about drought restrictions?
- When will level three drought restrictions be eased?
- What are the next steps in reducing demand?
To find out more check out the links on the left-hand side of this page or view Chapter Six of the Plan.
Water demand by customer segment
This page was last updated on 05 Aug 2008.