Our operations used 833 million cubic metres of water in 2003 for mining, processing and related activities, compared to 764 million cubic metres in 2002. This largely reflects a definitional change, which meant that marine cooling water was reported for the first time in 2003. Excluding this water use in 2003 was 720 million cubic meters, a 44 million cubic metre decrease since 2002.

• Ten operations contributed 84 per cent of the Group's total water use in 2003.
• Twenty two per cent of water used was recycled water. This cannot be directly compared to previous years due to definitional changes. The amount of water recycled gives an important indication of its use in preference to withdrawing water from other sources. However, it does not take into account other areas of water management, such as volumes available for recycling or the use of mine dewatering water. Its use in preference to withdrawing water from other surface and ground water sources is also sound water management. Nevertheless, it is one indicator that can be used to drive responsible water management.

Water use per tonne of product
Changes in Rio Tinto's water use per tonne of product can result from changes in both the balance of our product mix and in the water used in our production processes. For example, in 2001 there was a significant reduction in water use per tonne of product as a result of the acquisition of a number of bulk mining coal operations. We refer to this product mix related change as an intensity effect. On the other hand, QIT have increased the use of recirculated water that reduced the need to add water into the cooling circuit. We call this change efficiency related. Rio Tinto considers efficiency changes, not intensity changes to be better measures of underlying performance. Therefore, the information presented in this section is based on changes in efficiency only.

There was a 1.6 per cent decrease in water use per tonne of product in the last 12 months, maintaining some of the improvement over the last five years: a 2.5 per cent decrease in water use per tonne of product. Improved process control and operational water management at QIT and IOC Carol Project contributed to the decrease in water use per tonne of product in the last 12 months.