Weathering the Dry
How ready are Australian households for a drier summer? Our sixth annual Water Night research report, based on a survey of 1,012 Australians.
The Water Conservancy
Australia is heading into what could be the strongest El Niño on record. This year, water literacy has gone backwards, not forwards. Almost six in ten Australians believe they are already doing enough to save water, yet fewer than half have made the simplest changes available to them. Confidence is outpacing understanding.
Key findings
- 58% of Australians think they are doing enough to save water.
- 35% know what a super El Niño is and understand what it means for them. Almost half do not recognise the term at all.
- 185 litres a day is the median an Australian uses, based on national water utility data. However a third of Australians think they only use 50 litres.
- 48% have fitted a water-saving showerhead or tap aerator, and 42% have added mulch to their garden beds.
- 46% of households that water a garden increase watering by 30% or more during hot, dry periods.
- 30% of renters have fitted water-saving showerheads or tap aerators, compared with 54% of owners.
- The average shower now runs 7.3 minutes, up from 6.7 minutes in 2025. For 18 to 34 year olds it is 9.3 minutes.
What the research looked at
The report looks at what Australians believe about their water use and what they have done about it. It covers:
- What a super El Niño is, and why it matters for household water now
- How much water we use, and how that compares with what we think we use
- Which generations have the biggest gap in water knowledge
- Six years of good intentions, and where habits have stayed the same
- Where water goes inside and outside the home
- How renters and landlords can work together
- Why saving water also saves money on bills
- What helps households make changes that last
Who the report is for
This research is written for households, journalists, water utilities, councils and community groups. You can quote the findings with a link to this page, and the methodology and appendix give the detail behind every figure.
Frequently asked questions
What is a super El Niño?
El Niño is a shift in Pacific Ocean temperatures that happens every few years and usually brings hotter, drier conditions to much of Australia. A super El Niño is a stronger version of the same pattern. The Bureau of Meteorology describes the current event as a strong El Niño that is still strengthening.
How much water does the average Australian use each day?
The median Australian uses around 185 litres of water a day, based on national water utility data. Few people know their own figure, so most underestimate it.
Are Australians doing enough to save water?
Almost six in ten Australians (58%) believe they are. In practice, 48% have fitted a water-saving showerhead or tap aerator and 42% have added mulch to their garden beds.
Why is a super El Niño a problem for household water use?
Most of us use water on autopilot. We turn on the tap, run the shower and water the garden out of routine. In a dry summer, those routines can increase as the weather changes around us, just as rainfall falls.
Who conducted the research?
PureProfile ran the survey of 1,012 Australians between 14 and 21 September 2026. History Will Be Kind completed the fieldwork. The Water Conservancy published the findings.
How to cite this report
The Water Conservancy (2026). Weathering the Dry: Australian Water Research 2026. Water Night research report. thewaterconservancy.org/research/weathering-the-dry-2026/
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