This research publication describes the water use behaviour of households throughout South East Queensland that were monitored using mini smart meters during the period February 2009 to May 2010.The monitoring program was combined with audits to define the characteristics of each household and each household also completed a water use diary. Households with higher incomes were more likely to include water efficient appliances and rainwater tanks which explained the small increases in per-capita and household water demands associated with households with higher incomes. Per-capita water use was found to be strongly dependent on the reported frequency of showering. Households without rainwater tanks had an average daily mains water demand of 514 litres and a per-capita daily demand of 139 litres. Households using rainwater for outdoor use had an average daily mains water demand of 383 litres and a per-capita daily demand of 117 litres – annual savings of 47.8 kL. Households using rainwater for indoor and outdoor uses had an average daily mains water use of 268 litres and a per-capita demand of 63 litres – annual savings of 89.8 kL. The performance of households using rainwater for indoor and outdoor uses exceeded the requirements of the previous Queensland Development Code MP 4.2.

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