Water efficiency targets

Setting a target for your household

Generally, homes roughly the same size and with the same number of people living in them use about the same amount of water if they use water efficiently. How's your home doing? Find out what your household's water efficiency target should be.


How do I set my target?

  1. Get your latest bill. Check the months your usage charges are for and your average daily usage for this bill
  2. Then, from the 4 tables below, choose the one closest to the months covered by your usage charges. They don't have to match exactly.
  3. Choose the row that shows how many people were in your home most of the time.
  4. Find your property size.
  5. See how many litres per day (L/day) an efficient home should be using and compare your readings. 

This is where you'll find the information on your bill.


What are the targets?

August to October daily target

People
in the home 

Small property 
Less than 500 m2

Medium property
501 m2 to 700 m2

Large property
701 m2 to 900 m2

1 person

193 L/day

195 L/day

211 L/day

2 people

341 L/day

350 L/day

371 L/day

3 people

447 L/day

462 L/day

484 L/day

4 people

512 L/day

532 L/day

556 L/day

5 people

537 L/day

560 L/day

581 L/day

November to January daily target

People
in the home

Small property 
Less than 500 m2

Medium property
501 m2 to 700 m2

Large property
701 m2 to 900 m2 

1 person

198 L/day

203 L/day

216  L/day

2 people

352 L/day

364 L/day

382 L/day

3 people

460 L/day

480 L/day

499 L/day

4 people

528 L/day

554 L/day

572 L/day

5 people

553 L/day

582 L/day

598 L/day

February to April daily target

People
in the home 

Small property 
Less than 500 m2

Medium property
501 m2 to 700 m2

Large property
701 m2 to 900 m2

1 person

202 L/day

203 L/day

218 L/day

2 people

357 L/day

365 L/day

385 L/day

3 people

467 L/day

481 L/day

502 L/day

4 people

536 L/day

555 L/day

576 L/day

5 people

562 L/day

584 L/day

603 L/day

May to July daily target

People
in the home 

Small property 
Less than 500 m2

Medium property
501 m2 to 700 m2

Large property
701 m2 to 900 m2  

1 person

185 L/day

190 L/day

202 L/day

2 people

328 L/day

342 L/day

358 L/day

3 people

429 L/day

451 L/day

467 L/day

4 people

493 L/day

519 L/day

535 L/day

5 people

516 L/day

546 L/day

560 L/day


What are the targets based on?

We use water in lots of different ways around the home, so there are many factors that determine how much water you use. These figures show litres per household per day. They're based on members of the household:

  • using water outdoors 2–3 times a week on average to maintain lawns and garden, top up the pool, wash the car, etc.
  • having a 4.5-minute shower each day using a water-efficient showerhead (no more than 9 litres per minute)
  • using a dual-flush toilet
  • using a front-loading washing machine and no more than 2 loads per person per week
  • using water-efficient taps fitted with aerators
  • using the dishwasher no more than once a day
  • having a bath only occasionally
  • fixing any obvious leaks around the home.

How do I compare?

If you used the same or less than the targets, your household has good water use practices. Thank you for using water wisely!

Read What uses water in your home? (175 KB) to learn about the typical things that use water in a home.


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