Helping Australians become water experts at home

Engineers, urban planners and householders will soon be able to customise their water usage with a new interactive software package developed by the Flagship’s Urban Waterscapes program.

The householder version of the package called House Water Expert enables a user to enter data about their home consumption: For example, do they have a pool? A garden? If so, how big and how often does it need to be watered? Do they wash their car or cars? Do they have their own water tank? .

Right down to the water-efficiency ratings of household appliances, the software brings all of the data together, spits out estimates of usage and evaluates the water savings of each technique or device in their home. Householders can decide on whether a more water efficient washing machine, a raintank or other devices are the best method for them to reduce their water usage.

The House Water Expert has now been distributed to water utilities and other organisations for customising to local conditions.

The next (and more complex) phase of the program is the creation of Development Planner. This tool will help urban planners better plan for biodiversity and micro-climates, while incorporating water efficiency, usage and smart treatment technologies into the design of suburbs. A third phase City Planner will help us understand water availability and use throughout regions and how the options chosen affect not only water supply but our regional and Australian economies.

You can read more about the Urban Waterscape program in The Australian Financial Review’s November edition of SOLVE magazine.

For more information contact:
Dr Stephen Gray
CSIRO Manufacturing and Infrastructure Technology
Ph: +61 3 9252 6516
stephen.gray@csiro.au

Update Home

Waterfalls - Message from the Director

Model solutions for Great Barrier Reef

Helping Perth recycle waste water

Australians become water experts at home

Knowledge grows for Murray flow

The Water for a Healthy Country Flagship is a CSIRO initiative and part of the National Research Flagships program that aims to deliver scientific solutions to advance Australia's most important national objectives. One of the largest scientific initiatives ever mounted in Australia, it aligns closely with the Federal Government's National Research Priorities. The initiative brings together our national research resources to deliver breakthroughs in fields ranging from healthcare to light metals and the environment.