AS summer-like conditions persist into autumn, Water Corporation is reminding households across suburban Perth of the importance of sticking to their twice weekly watering days.

Water Corporation’s new campaign ‘Wasting Bucketloads’ uses the familiar household item to help people visualise how much water is lost through bad habits, like overwatering gardens.

The campaign was launched last month in response to data showing Perth’s household water use reached a decade high level in 2023/24, reversing a nearly 20 per cent decline since the mid-2000s.

Less than 50 years ago, Perth averaged 420 billion litres of streamflow into its dams annually.

Since then, rainfall has declined nearly 20 percent, resulting in an 80 percent drop in streamflow and reduced groundwater recharge.

Water Corporation manager demand delivery Damien Postma said desalination is helping sustain Perth’s water supply but it’s not a licence to waste this vital resource.

“In fact, we need to be more waterwise than ever,” Mr Postma said.

“Perth once received reliable rainfall throughout the year, but the shoulder seasons of autumn and spring are now routinely recording below-average falls.”

More than 30 per cent of household water use occurs in the garden, yet the research showed one in five people don’t know their watering days.

As highlighted through the ‘Wasting Bucketloads’ campaign, using sprinklers just one extra day a week uses about 3132 litres of water a month – the equivalent of 348 bucketloads.

“We need to get back to the waterwise basics by sticking to the watering roster, fixing leaks around the home and limiting showers to no more than four minutes. And once rain is forecast, turn off your sprinklers so nature can do the work,” Mr Postma said.

“Western Australians overwhelmingly do the right thing but with demand rising and rainfall continuing to decline, it’s essential we keep living the waterwise message every day.

“Seemingly small waterwise changes at a household level make a huge difference across the community and help ensure collective water security into the future.”

As part of the campaign, a unique mobile advertisement filled with blue buckets will travel through Perth, providing a visual reminder of the amount of water lost each month through wasting water.

For other ways to stay waterwise visit the dedicated Water Corporation webpage.