This report defines and quantifies the virtual water Cycle for Victoria. Virtual water is the water embodied in all products and services consumed in Victoria, rather than merely the direct water used. An understanding of our virtual water use has the potential to provide significant water savings, and to affect water use beyond the boundaries of cities and regions over the longer term. In particular, this report enhances the understanding of the link between irrigation water use and the consumption of Victoria’s residents, and provides improved awareness that lifestyle and consumption in the urban setting has a direct affect on how water is used throughout the whole of Australia, and to reinforce the message that improved rural water management is not a problem for farmers alone to tackle.
