The International WaterCentre (IWC)

Water Leadership for the Future IWC - creating tomorrow’s leaders in water management by changing

the way people think about, act and solve complex water

management challenges

Outline

• Water Sensitive Cities – current strategies

• Water Sensitive Cities – future strategies

• City of Brisbane – Healthy Waterways Case Study

Managing Water as a Wicked Problem?

Australian Public Services

Commission (2007)

Key Characteristics: 1. Difficult to clearly define problem

2. Many interdependencies &multi-causal

3. Attempts to address problem often

leads to unforseen consequences

4. Problem is not stable

5. There is no clear solution

6. Problem is socially complex

7. Rarely the responsibility of any one

organisation

8. Solution involves changing behaviour

9. Characterised by chronic policy failure

Transitioning towards a Water

Sensitive City …. The present?

Presentation Heading

Water Sensitive

City

Water Cycle

City

Waterways

City

Drained

City

Sewered

City

Cumulative Socio-Political Drivers

Service Delivery Functions

Water Supply

City

Supply

hydraulics

Water supply

access &

security

Drainage,

channelisation

Flood protection

Separate

sewerage

schemes

Public health

protection

Brown et al (2008).

Point & diffuse

source pollution

management

Social amenity,

environmental

protection

Evolving Urban Water Hydro-Social Contract

21st Century – the century of cities

The world is undergoing the

largest wave of urban growth

in history. In 2008, for the

first time in history, more

than half of the world’s

population will be living in

towns and cities.

UNFPA, June 2007

Responding to Water Pollution

Visual impacts of trapping Gross

Pollutants

Investment in Science

Responding to Water Pollution

Bridgewater Creek, South Brisbane

Bridgewater Creek Urban Retrofit Concept

Bridgewater Creek Wetland Construction

Bridgewater Creek Wetland

Stormwater Biofiltration Technologies

Stormwater Garden Processes

During Rainfall Event

1. Runoff

2. Detention

3. Filtration

4. Drainage

5. Bypass

Dry Stormwater Garden

Hampton Park Wetland

(Melbourne Water)

Lynbrook Estate Wetland

(VicUrban)

All Nations Park Wetland

(City of Darebin)

NAB Building Forecourt

Wetland

Blacken Ridge

Bioretention Basin (BCC)

Baltusrol Estate

(Australand)

Victoria Park

(Landcom)

Cremorne Street

(City of Yarra)

Melbourne Docklands

(Lend Lease)

Baltusrol Estate

(Australand)

Bourke Street Tree

Planters

(Lend Lease)

Building Bioretention

Planters (Portland,

Oregon, USA)

WSUD: Wetland & biofiltration technologies

Implementation of Bioretention Technologies

What performance can we expect?

– Over 95% of Total Suspended Solids,

– Over 50% of Total Nitrogen (TN)

– Over 85% of Total Phosphorous (TP),

– Over 90% of heavy metals

– Over 80% of pathogen removal

Expected reductions in concentrations of ‘typical’

stormwater:

Waterway Corridors

Catchment Modelling School 2005

workshop session, Brisbane

Toolkit Product Managers’

Workshop, Canberra, July 2004

Above top left: Catchment Modelling School 2005 workshop

session, Sydney

Above top right: Joel Rahman, presenting at Catchment

Modelling School 2005, Sydney

Above left: André Taylor instructing at Catchment Modelling

School 2005, Sydney

Above right: Break from session, Catchment Modelling School

2005, Brisbane

Professional industry capacity building

Responding to Water Scarcity

Pressure &Leakage

Management Aquifer Project Recycled Water

Scheme

Reactivating Dams

Responding to Water Scarcity

Public Awareness

Responding to

Water Scarcity

Water Grid

Transitioning towards a Water

Sensitive City …. The future ?

Presentation Heading

Water Sensitive

City

Water Cycle

City

Waterways

City

Drained

City

Sewered

City

Cumulative Socio-Political Drivers

Service Delivery Functions

Water Supply

City

Supply

hydraulics

Water supply

access &

security

Drainage,

channelisation

Flood protection

Separate

sewerage

schemes

Public health

protection

Point & diffuse

source pollution

management

Social amenity,

environmental

protection

Diverse, fit-for-

purpose sources &

end-use efficiency,

waterway health

restoration

Limits on natural

resources

Brown et al (2008), and Wong and Brown (2008)

Adaptive, multi-

functional

infrastructure &

urban design

reinforcing water

sensitive values &

behaviours

Intergenerational

equity, resilience to

climate change

Evolving Urban Water Hydro-Social Contract

Water Sensitive Cities: What is the

Potential ?

• Drivers – Climate change and associated

uncertainties

– Growing population and urbanisation

– Price of water

– Changing community needs and expectations

• Opportunities – Linking water with energy, ecological landscapes,

social capital

– Influencing micro-climate and mitigating the

urban heat island effects

– Drainage infrastructure augmentationtrategies – Urban design integrates all elements

The Melbourne

Urban Heat Island

0100h March 23, 2006

Coutts, Beringer and Tapper

Urban Policy and Research,

2008

‘Cliff’ ‘Cliff’

‘Cliff’ ~4 deg.C

January 2009 heat wave

bodies to State Morgue

Av deaths =16

Combined effects of climate change, increased health care costs, increased

urbanisation and aging population = $$$$

Surface Temperature Inhomogeneity Associated With

Urban Fabric

ENVI-met urban urban

micrometeorological

modelling suite (includes

human comfort)

A mid-summer mid-afternoon

simulation for low density

housing in Melbourne

(Nadine D’ Argent - Monash

Ph.D. student)

Causes of Urban Warmth

• The nature of surface materials (i.e.

thermal characteristics and colour

(albedo) of surfaces)

• Surface shapes and structures (the

complex nature of urban geometry)

• Alterations in urban air quality

• The presence of heat sources (cars,

industry, space heating, metabolic

heat, etc)

• Surface waterproofing and especially

removal of urban storm water

• Building Flexibility & Adaptability in its water

sources

“Cities as Water Supply Catchments”

• Green Infrastructure

“Cities providing Ecosystem Services”

• Building social and institutional capital

“Sophisticated and Water Smart Cities”

Water Sensitive Cities

– key themes

Desalination plants ? Dams ?

Recycle sewage ?

We must employ ALL these solutions if our

cities are to become resilient to climate and

social pressures.

Urban Water Solutions

• Diversity of water sources of water (ie. alternative sources including

stormwater, sewer mining, recycled wastewater, desalinated water)

• Diversity of infrastructure (ie. centralised and decentralised systems

promoting a fit-for-purpose framework for matching water usage to

water quality)

Cities as Water Supply

Catchments

Treatment

Header Tank

Treated water

for toilet reuse

To sewer

Supplementary

Mains water

Collection of

light

greywater

Overflow

to sewer

Dual Water Supply Reticulation - “A basis for inter-generational equity”

• Emerging role of decentralised water services (and private enterprise

participation)

$9 Billion -

SEQ Water

Grid • Desalination at Gold Coast

• Western Corridor Recycled Water

Scheme

• Southern Regional Water Pipeline

• New Traveston Dam

• Recommissioned dams

• Aquifer Production Bores in

Brisbane

Queensland Water

Commission

Our knowledge of the traditional ‘values’ of open

spaces and landscape features needs to be

bolstered with an understanding of the ‘ecological

functioning’ of the urban landscapes that capture the

essences of sustainable water management, micro-

climate influences, facilitation of carbon sinks and

use for food production.

Cities providing Ecosystem Services :

Ecological Landscapes…

• water quality improvement

• management of stormwater as a resource

• flood mitigation

• buffering aquatic ecosystems from the effects of catchment

urbanisation and climate change

• influencing urban micro climates

Ecological Functions

•Water

•Shade

•Evapo-transpiration

•Orientation

Cities providing

Ecosystem Services:

Ecological

Landscapes…

Water

Reuse

Greywater directly used to

irrigate and flush toilets.

The cascading living wall

provides treatment.

Microclimate

Living walls help to

regulate both internal and

external microclimate

• Community receptive to a ecologically sustainable

lifestyle

• Industry skilled at sustainable urban water

management

• Government policies underpinning inter-agency

collaboration and public/private engagement

Sophisticated and Water Smart Cities

Water Sensitive

City

Water Cycle

City

Waterway

City Drained

City

Sewered

City

Water Supply

City

How can we transition to the

Water Sensitive City?

Transitioning from the ‘Drained City’

to the ‘Waterway City’

Socio-Institutional Barriers 1. lack of a common vision

2. institutional fragmentation

3.undefined organisational responsibilities

4. limited political incentives and disincentives

5.poor organisational commitment

6. technological path dependency

7.poor community capacity to meaningfully participate, and

8. lack of experience with facilitating integrated management

processes

Brown and Farrelly (2009, in press)

1. Socio-Political Capital

Community, Media and Political

2. Champions

Vision

Multi-sectoral network

3. Accountability

Coordination Processes

Water Cycle

Land-use Planning

4. Reliable & Trusted Science

Academic Leadership

Technology Development

5. Market Receptivity

Business Case for Change

6. Bridging Organisations

Facilitates Science – Policy

Facilitates Capacity Building

7. Binding Targets

Measurable System Target

Science, Policy and Development

8. Strategic Funding Points

Dedicated external funds

9. Demonstration Projects

Experimentation,

Technology Development

Policy and Institutional learning

Water Sensitive

City

Water Cycle

City

Waterway

City

Drained

CitySewered

City

Water Supply

City

Water Sensitive

City

Water Cycle

City

Waterway

City

Drained

CitySewered

City

Water Supply

City

Key Transition Factors (Brown & Clarke, 2007)

Brisbane City Council’s Journey to a WaterSmart City

What is a WaterSmart City?

Where we have been We are here Where we want to be

A well designed city

Sustainable

water use

Healthy River

& bay

Journey towards a Water Smart City

Water Supply City Sewered City Drained City Waterways City Water Cycle City Water Smart City

Adapted from the ‘Urban Water Management Transitions

Framework’ diagram (Brown et al, 2008)

What is a WaterSmart City?

For Brisbane - A City that manages its

water to deliver livability. A City that: • thinks City, plans neighbourhood

• has adaptive, diverse and flexible infrastructure

• is resilient

• reconnects people with water

• has multi-functional landscapes

• provides multiple and varied sources of water

• provides intergenerational equity

What is a WaterSmart City?

Three City-wide Outcomes:

1. Well Designed City

2. Healthy River and Bay

3. Sustainable Water Use

Key Performance Indicators:

1.By 2026, 50% of stormwater from the City’s urban footprint will be treated

using WSUD devices

2.By 2031, the WQO’s of all of SEQ’s waterways will be met

A well designed city

Sustainable

water use

Healthy River

& bay

Adaptive Management and

Effective Monitoring and Evaluation

1. Strategy direction (Healthy River and Bay)

measured through outcome KPI’s - e.g. By 2031,

WQO’s of all of SEQ waterways will be met.

2. Program effectiveness measured through

program and site/ investment effectiveness - e.g.

Flood immunity: reduce the number of flood

effected residents across the City.

3. Project effectiveness measured through site

investment effectiveness - e.g. waterway

rehabilitation: site riparian and aquatic habitat

increased, water quality improved.

3 Scales of monitoring and evaluation

Waterway Health Enhancement:

Protect high value

Enhance those at greatest risk from irreversible

decline

Catchment-based

Adaptive management

Create Healthy Waterways Program

Waterway Enhancement Program

– Improve waterway health

– Creek and catchment

– (Rehab) and (WSUD)

– $6 million annually

Creek Rehabilitation

Pollutant removal (WSUD)

Where are resources allocated

most effectively?

?

? ?

Priority Catchment Selection

Ecological Values

Pressures

• Aquatic

Conservation

Assessment

• Pollutant loads

(modelling)

• Development

Pressure

Priority

Catchment

% BCC Ownership Community

Spatial Optimisation

Results

• 6 Sub-Catchment Types – Type A – High Value in protected, forested sub-

catchments

– Type B - high value under high threat from land use change

– Type C- high value, moderately disturbed, partly protected

– Type D- moderate value under moderate – high threat

– Type E- low value with moderate to high threat

– Type F- low value with low threat

(Refer pg 29 report)

Results

Riparian Zone Ecosystem Services

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

Nemira Street

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

Church Road

N

Rogers Parade

Hoffman Street

Trouts Road

Horn Road

Pick ‘N’ Pay

Zillmere Road

Aspley High

Longbill Place

Poplar Place

Gertrude Street

Boondall Wetlands

Gateway

Lemke Road

Roghan Road

Pineapple Street

Dorville Road

Rotary Park

Albany Creek Road

Beckett Road

Old Northern Road

Bill Brown

Telegraph Road

N

Bank Protection A Very High Habitat Corridor Aesthetics Shade Sub-surface Nitrogen Removal Surface Water Filtering

B High C Moderate D Low E Very Low

LEGEND Waterways Assessment Sections Subcatchment Boundaries

1000 metres Flood Abatement Recreation

NA Waterway Piped or RZES Not Assessed

Riparian Zone Ecosystem Services -

Status

Final Project Sites- Strategy

Triple Bottom Line Assessment

Create Healthy Waterways Program

Future:

provide multiple outcomes in Healthy Waterways projects

Create Healthy Waterways Program

Future:

provide multiple outcomes in Healthy Waterways projects

Create Healthy Waterways Program

Future:

provide multiple outcomes in Healthy Waterways projects