Irrigation - The Biggest User of Water in New Zealand

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Irrigation - The Biggest User of Water in New Zealand

Water used for irrigation is more than three times that used for drinking, according to figures from the NZ's Ministry for the Environment.

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Maximum annual volume for consumptive use of water in New Zealand, Source: Figure.nz

In the year to June 2014, more than 5 billion cubic metres of fresh water was taken from ground and surface water for irrigation.

Less than 1.5 billion cubic metres was consumed for drinking.

Charging for water use became a hot issue during the election, with Labour proposing a water tax on farmers.

Water used for hydroelectricity was not included. The category "other" included consents for stock, frost protection, and use that was not specified. 

Read full article: Stuff.nz

Learn more about the information shown above, and explore more charts, at Figure.NZ's site.

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