We are assisting water resource managers to implement the most sustainable water management design and practice under changing climate and resource use pressures.
Background
Our water resource managers face the challenge of implementing a more sustainable mix of new systems to complement existing water infrastructure, due to:
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rapid urbanisation
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subsequent increase in demand for freshwater resources
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loads on the receiving environment from waste disposal
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past land and water management practice.
Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM) is an emerging approach for planning and management of urban water systems. It has the potential to provide solutions to the current urban water challenges.
The IUWM approach allows urban water managers to plan and manage water supply, wastewater and stormwater systems in a coordinated manner to:
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minimise their impact on the natural environment
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maximise their contribution to economic vitality
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engender overall community wellbeing and improvement.
Our research focuses on the development of predictive models, decision tools, design approaches and suitable operation and maintenance models to aid IUWM-based strategic planning.
Predictive modelling tools provide the ability to simulate water quantity and quality processes of the whole-of-urban water system. This includes:
Our decision tools assist in multi-criteria decision making by accounting for social, economic and environmental implications of different urban water management options.
We are undertaking research in two key areas including:
Integrated water systems planning
This research area aims to deliver sustainable capability to enable optimal integration of diversified supply, alternative stormwater and wastewater disposal, and reuse options and demand management to existing urban water systems.
This will be done through the development of whole-of-urban water systems analysis and risk-based, integrated decision-analysis methods and predictive modelling tools.
Our work looks at:
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Identification of spatial and temporal distribution of alternative sources (e.g. stormwater, wastewater, greywater and desalinated water) and how best to integrate them into the existing system
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Improved understanding of water use and development of structural and non-structural options for efficient water use
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The whole-of-urban water system to model water and constituent balance which aids identification options to meet supply and receiving water targets
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Improved methods of monitoring flows and constituents generated from urban areas. We do this to understand how different urban water management options result in changes to surface and sub-surface runoff and constituent generation processes
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Methods to quantify whole-of-system energy and greenhouse gas emissions to aid identification of options to meet greenhouse gas targets or to reduce carbon footprint
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Water allocation and sharing among multiple urban water systems and urban/rural systems
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Improved analysis methods for assessing economic and social performance of alternative urban water systems
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Risk-based multi-criteria optimisation and assessment methods to aid integrated decision analysis and sustainability assessment of alternative water systems.
Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM) is an emerging approach for planning and management of urban water systems.
Integrated water systems design
This area aims to deliver capability to enable planning and design of decentralised urban water systems.
This will be done through the development of improved approaches for:
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selecting the best configuration
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performance evaluation and design
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protocols for public health
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ecosystem risk assessment
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suitable service delivery models.
Our work looks at:
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Evolving patterns of water use and wastewater generation to understand their impact on the existing infrastructure and to evaluate the scope for integration of alternative technologies and systems that can best satisfy societal needs
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Sources of critical contaminants in wastewater and stormwater
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Investigation of industrial guidelines for water reuse
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Understanding the performance of decentralised systems
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Alternative water systems design and delivery approaches
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Institutional arrangements to enable IUWM and implementation of decentralised systems.
Partnerships
Our research aligns with the work of partners including:
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the National Water Commission
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Sydney Water
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Metropolitan Water Directorate (Sydney)
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SA Water
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ACT Government
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eWater Cooperative Research Centre (CRC)
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American Water Works Association Research Foundation (AWWARF)
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the CRC for Water Quality and Treatment
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WA Premier’s Water Foundation
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Yarra Valley Water
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City West Water
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South East Water
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Melbourne Water
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Tamala Park Regional Council, Perth
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Geelon City Council
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Water Services Association Australia
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Victorian Government's Smart Water Fund.
Our Integrated Water Systems work is a collaboration with partners at research institutes and organisations including:
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Victoria University
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Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University (RMIT)
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Monash University
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the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, India,
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the Institute for Sustainable Futures, Sydney
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Australasian Fire Authorities Council
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NSW Fire Brigades
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Fire Protection Association
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Armadale Redevelopment Authority
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WA Water Corporation
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Swan River Trust
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Department of Water
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Griffith University
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University of Queensland.
Read about our work in Infrastructure Technologies.
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