Homeowners around the country reduced their water consumption by six per cent between 2005 and 2006, according to a national study which attributes the drop to ongoing water restrictions and reduced supply across many urban areas.

The first National Performance Report for urban water utilities, produced by the National Water Commission and the Water Services Association of Australia, shows that Brisbane used the least water per person of any city, and Darwin the most in 2005-06.

The average residential water consumption per property across Australia for properties supplied with water from major urban water utilities was 213kL in 2005-06.

This ranged from 180kL for properties in New South Wales supplied by Gosford City Council, to 443kL for properties in Darwin supplied by the Power and Water Corporation.

The average residential water bill for the year was $582, with Melbourne residents paying the lowest (at $473) and Perth the highest at $750.

The report also highlights the level of water recycling occurring across urban water utilities. For major urban water utilities the average percentage of water recycled was 9 per cent, while for non major urban water utilities this figure was 23 per cent.