Urban water systems engineering research

Our research is creating the technology needed for more sustainable, efficient and innovative use of Australia’s water resources.

• 16 December 2010 | Updated 14 October 2011

Overview

Australia is facing a number of major urban water systems challenges relating to population growth, water shortages, climate variability and change, degrading infrastructure, incorporation of alternative water and wastewater treatment systems, carbon footprint challenges and the evolution of the water sensitive city.

Australia’s cities are faced with major challenges associated with urban water supply including:

• identification of new water sources to meet predicted demand, post 2025
• optimal integration of new water supplies and treatment systems into the urban water system
• deterioration of the A$94 billion in infrastructure assets currently managed by water authorities
• increasing energy consumption for water production and wastewater treatment in a carbon constrained environment.

The Urban Water Systems Engineering Program delivers science that underpins national solutions to these problems and requires a detailed understanding of the performance of water systems and the ability to model the implications of these issues, on both conventional centralised water supply systems and alternative transitional decentralised systems using sustainability principles (social, environmental and economic analysis).

Specifically, the Program is focused on developing capability to address the following concepts:

Sustainable cities – the role of water

By understanding and modelling existing and alternative urban water systems we can understand their dynamics and performance, as a precursor to optimisation. This enables the development of new management procedures and technologies to improve the efficiency of assets and water use including solutions for alternative water, wastewater and stormwater systems. 

A key component of these concepts is the development of iconic sites where innovative solutions for centralised and decentralised solutions are designed and implemented in cooperation with industry.

Intelligent networks

By developing and deploying sensor systems in conjunction with data acquisition and analysis, we can enable real-time determination and management of quality of water, contamination incidents, and asset deterioration in potable water, sewage and stormwater systems.

Low energy water solutions

Understanding and improving the water/energy nexus and modelling of low energy alternatives to traditional systems will enable the development of methods for low energy water provision and treatment. Technologies developed based on this information will result in more efficient systems as well as the recovery of resources such as, nitrogen, phosphorous and carbon from industrial and wastewater streams.

Water governance

Implementation of alternative water solutions in low capacity locations. 

Read more about CSIRO Land and Water.