Australia: Best PracticesAustralia: Best Practices

Canberra, Goulburn, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth

SE and SW are agricultural areas Population very urbanized: most in large

cities near coast >~1 million or others in towns <~10,000 (Few cities of ~100,000)

Australia: waterAustralia: water World’s driest inhabited continent

Droughts common: world’s largest per capita constructed water storage

Droughts (& floods) becoming more severe, esp. in SE & SW corners. Global warming?

Yet use ~280L/c/d, 3rd after US/Canada, almost double Netherlands

Australia: gov’tAustralia: gov’t Federal nation like Canada

Wealthy elderly paternal national gov’t, impoverished child states

Not nerdy somewhat well-off older brother tolerated when his money or brains are useful, not always well loved otherwise

Cities quite weak (Brisbane exception)

GoulburnGoulburn

Inland city of 22,000 1 hour NE of Canberra, 2 hrs SW of Sydney Big Merino: agricultural area Industries: abbatoir, wool-scouring Maximum security prison

Pejar Dam April 2004Pejar Dam April 2004 Goulburn’s principal water supplyGoulburn’s principal water supply

Lake PejarLake Pejar Worst drought in

100 years 5 yrs ago, 10m

deep, 1000 ML water

May 20 2005: 8% capacity, possibly gone by end of year

Pejar May 2005Pejar May 2005

What to do? Close or move

town? Move water by

truck or rail? Move 300 max.

security prisoners? Close industries?

What they did: emergencyWhat they did: emergency Closed swimming pools: kids shuttled to

Canberra by bus Closed sports grounds: injuries on hard ground Townfolk: 100 second shower limit Prison: 70 inmates shower in an hour May: people asked to use <150L/day (=15 minute

shower) June: 120 L/day (washing machine full) Per capita use was <1/2 that 3 yrs ago Biggest businesses reduced water use by 1/3

despite concerns re meeting cleanliness standards for export

What they did not doWhat they did not do

Close industries - town would die

Use truck/railcar to bring water - has worked in small communities of a few hundred, not at this scale 4 million L/week

Effect of drought on farmsEffect of drought on farms

Some compensation from Canberra

Some farmers sold livestock

Concerned about paying back money borrowed to continue

What they did: responseWhat they did: responseBores dug for C$1.5 million, ->5

million L/day, enough for 6 monthsPlanned a C$3 million pipeline to

nearby riverConsidering drinking re-treated

sewage treatment plant effluent. Mayor: “Someone’s got to do it.” Could be built in 5 yrs for C$30 million

Some roots of the problemSome roots of the problem

High water use/capita in an uncertain climate. Examples:

No requirements for water-efficient appliances (washing machines, dual flush toilets)

No requirement for swimming pool covers to reduce evaporation

SydneySydney Largest city in Australia Sydney Harbour:

picturesque, also a unit of volume in Australia:

1 Sydney Harbour =0.5 million ML

70% use is household, 360L/c/d

Recycles 14 billion L/yr treated wastewater

Warragamba DamWarragamba Dam Principal source

of Sydney’s water

Reservoir at Warragamba Reservoir at Warragamba June 2005June 2005

June: <40% full (~1 year’s supply)

Goulburn is in same catchment, so Goulburn extracting river water could affect Sydney

Desalination plant?

Water Corporation of Water Corporation of Western AustraliaWestern Australia

Provide urban water services for entire state (~40% of area of country)

Statewide pricing Building 1

desalination plant for C$300 million, considering a 2nd

(Considered a 2500km canal also)

First urban end-use study

Checking dataChecking data Data not always

perfect

Wimmera-Mallee PipelineWimmera-Mallee Pipeline(Victoria)(Victoria) Supplies 5500

farms/>40 towns Constructing about

8,000km to replace open earthen channel system losing 85% of water to evaporation & seepage

25% paid by users, Canberra, Victoria, Water Authority

Savings est.: 100,000 ML/yr

MelbourneMelbourne Single water services

provider split up into a bulk supplier/wastewater treatment agency, 3 competing? retailers/wastewater collectors late 1990’s

50 year water supply plan in 2000/01?

Planning for the Future of Planning for the Future of our Water Resourcesour Water Resources

Vision for Melbourne Predicted to grow significantly – 50 yrs No new dams in next 50 yrs Internationally recognised watersmart city Water demand reduction is most strongly

preferred, supported option

Needed to assess demand Needed to assess demand reduction options reduction options Need to understand Need to understand existing water demands existing water demands Analysis of End Uses: a Analysis of End Uses: a preferred tool preferred tool

End-use AnalysisEnd-use AnalysisNeeds information on Total water use in different subclasses of

customers Water use associated with various existing

technologies used by people Knowledge of numbers (stock) of each type of

each existing technology in each subclass Projections of changes/phasing in of new

technologies Water use associated with future technologies

Purpose: End-use modelPurpose: End-use model

Allows modelling changes of stocks of technologies

Facilitates demand management programs

Found no major new Found no major new supplies neededsupplies needed New subdivisions to be much more

water-efficient Best available technology Landscape with native species: water-sensitive

urban design Reuse of water within subdivision (cascading

quality) Demand management of existing

customers to provide the small amounts of needed water

BrisbaneBrisbane Considering full

cost water pricing including externalities

4X plant

National Water Conservation National Water Conservation Rating and Labelling SchemeRating and Labelling Scheme

Started with up to 3 A’s

Standards revised to include more efficient technology

Forced to move to 5 A’s

EndEnd