Largest town-supply gap
98 GL
Western Australia, short of 40% by the end of March on a dry summer.
Exact values: 97,619 ML, which is 98 GL. 1 GL is a billion litres.
Desalination
About half
Last year’s pace, scaled to the days left, against the Western Australia gap.
Exact values: Desalination 53 GL against a 98 GL gap (54%).
15% household cut
16%
An illustration, not a measured saving from a past restriction.
Exact values: Household cut 16 GL (16% of the gap).
States with a town gap
2
South Australia and Western Australia. The chart shows only these. The table lists every state.
Exact values: A state is in the chart only when its tracked town supplies finish March under 40% on the dry path.
Town-supply gap to the end of March, and three ways to close it
Gap15% household cutDesalination at last year’s paceRecycled water at last year’s pace
Last year, households used 1,920 billion litres, desalination plants supplied 199 billion litres and recycled water supplied 323 billion litres.
| State | Town gap (GL) | Farming gap (GL) | 15% household cut | Desalination | Recycled water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 0.0 | 1,160.0 | – | – | – |
| Victoria | 0.0 | 2.5 | – | – | – |
| Queensland | 0.0 | 256.8 | – | – | – |
| South Australia | 6.0 | 0.0 | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Western Australia | 97.6 | 0.0 | 16% | 54% | 14% |
| Tasmania | 0.0 | 0.0 | – | – | – |
| Northern Territory | 0.0 | 0.0 | – | – | – |
| Australian Capital Territory | 0.0 | 0.0 | – | – | – |
Exact values: 1 GL is a billion litres. Shares are how much of the town-supply gap that what-if would cover, capped at 100%. The household cut is 15% of last year’s household use, scaled to the days left until 31 March 2027. Desalination and recycled water are last year’s annual supply, scaled to the same days. The chart draws only states with a town-supply gap, and shortens Australian Capital Territory to ACT. The table lists every state, including those with no gap. A dash means there is no town-supply gap on the dry path, so a share is not meaningful. Farming storages are shown beside the town gap and are not something a city’s desalination plant can fill.