Water is one of the less-discussed ongoing costs of pool ownership, it tends to be buried in the quarterly Hunter Water bill rather than itemised as a “pool cost.” But for a typical Newcastle or Lake Macquarie pool owner, water consumption from the pool is a meaningful part of the annual water bill. When you remove the pool, that consumption disappears. This guide quantifies what the saving actually looks like in Hunter Water billing terms, and where the water goes in a typical residential pool.
Quick answer (BLUF)
A typical in-ground pool in Newcastle or Lake Macquarie uses 10,000-30,000 litres of mains water per year through evaporation top-up, backwashing and splash losses. At Hunter Water’s 2024-25 pricing, this represents approximately $35 to $110 per year in water supply charges. Removing the pool eliminates this cost permanently, a modest but real saving that compounds over time.
Where does pool water go?
Pool water loss (and therefore mains top-up requirements) comes from several sources:
1. Evaporation
This is the dominant loss mechanism for most Newcastle and Lake Macquarie pools. The Hunter region’s climate, hot summers with high solar radiation, and relatively low humidity compared to tropical Australia, creates significant evaporation from open water surfaces.
A 6m x 3m pool (18 sqm surface area) can lose 3-6mm of water depth per day in summer. Over a Newcastle summer (November, March), this can total 1.5-3m of evaporation depth, representing 27,000-54,000 litres of water from the pool surface. However, Newcastle’s rainfall (approximately 1,100mm per year) replaces some of this, rainfall directly into the pool partially offsets evaporation.
Net annual evaporation loss (evaporation minus direct rainfall into the pool) for a typical Newcastle backyard pool is approximately 8,000-20,000 litres per year.
2. Filter backwash
Sand filter backwashing is a frequent operation, typically weekly or fortnightly, using 500-1,500 litres per backwash cycle. Over a year (25-30 backwash cycles for an active pool), this totals 12,500-45,000 litres. Note: cartridge filters do not backwash (they are cleaned by hand), so filter type matters here.
3. Splash and splashout losses
Active use, diving, children playing, splashes water out of the pool. A heavily used family pool can lose 5,000-15,000 litres per season to splashout. Light use or adult-only use produces much less.
4. Leakage
A properly maintained, structurally sound pool should not lose water to leakage beyond normal evaporation. An old, cracked pool may be leaking significantly, some failing Hunter pools lose 5,000-25,000+ litres per year to ground leakage. If your pool has been losing water at an unexplained rate, it may be leaking into the surrounding soil.
Total annual mains water consumption from a pool
Adding these sources:
| Source | Typical annual volume |
|---|---|
| Net evaporation | 8,000-20,000 L |
| Backwash (sand filter) | 12,500-30,000 L |
| Splashout | 3,000-10,000 L |
| Leakage (if present) | 0-25,000+ L |
| Total (non-leaking pool) | ~23,000-60,000 L |
For a leaking pool, add the leakage volume, which can be substantial.
What this costs on a Hunter Water bill
Hunter Water’s residential water supply charge (2024-25 schedule):
- Tier 1 (first 150 kL per year): approximately $1.44/kL
- Tier 2 (150-400 kL): approximately $1.74/kL
- Tier 3 (over 400 kL): approximately $2.00/kL
For an average household, the pool water usage typically falls in Tier 1 or Tier 2. At $1.44, $1.74/kL, 23,000-60,000 litres (23-60 kL) costs approximately:
- 23 kL per year: $33 to $40 per year
- 60 kL per year: $86 to $104 per year
These are direct water supply cost savings from pool removal, modest on their own. The bigger water-related financial saving is avoided pool water replacement after an incident, if a pool needs to be fully refilled after a leak repair, algae clearance or structural work, a full refill of 50,000-80,000 litres costs $72 to $140 in water charges alone, plus the time cost.
The perspective on water savings vs overall savings
Water bill savings from pool removal are real but small compared to the other savings streams:
| Saving category | Typical annual saving |
|---|---|
| Water bill | $35 to $110 |
| Pool chemicals | $500 to $1,500 |
| Electricity (pump, chlorinator, heater) | $300 to $900 |
| Pool service costs | $300 to $1,200 |
| Pool inspection/compliance fees | $100 to $200 |
| Total annual saving | ~$1,235 to $3,910 |
Water is the smallest line item in the savings picture. The chemicals and electricity saving is where most of the financial benefit lies.
Environmental perspective
Saving 23,000-60,000 litres per year per pool has real environmental significance, particularly in a regional city like Newcastle that relies on Grahamstown Dam (Lake Macquarie) catchment. Hunter Water’s annual consumption data shows residential outdoor use (including pools) as a significant component of demand, particularly in summer when reservoir levels are most stressed.
For homeowners motivated by environmental values as well as financial ones, pool removal is a genuine contribution to urban water security.
FAQs
Will Hunter Water recognise the pool removal on my account?
Hunter Water doesn’t specifically track pool status for billing purposes. Your water meter records total consumption regardless of source. Once the pool is removed, your consumption will naturally drop, visible in your next quarterly bill as lower usage.
Does pool removal trigger any Hunter Water rebates?
Hunter Water has historically offered rebates for water-efficient upgrades, including rainwater tanks connected to toilet flushing. Pool removal itself doesn’t trigger a rebate, but if you install a rainwater tank after pool removal (see our guide on pool removal and rainwater tank installation), you may be eligible for tank rebates.
My pool has been leaking for years, how much water (and money) have I been losing?
A pool losing 25mm/day to a structural leak (a significant but not uncommon leak rate in older concrete Hunter pools) loses approximately 16,200 litres per month (for a 6m x 3m pool). Over 12 months, that’s approximately 195 kL, nearly $340/year in Hunter Water supply charges, before accounting for the cost of the water infiltrating the surrounding soil and potentially affecting structural fill.