Australian Urban Water Services Policies i and Responses

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1 Impact of Climate Extremes on Australian Urban Water Services Policies i and Responses Dr John C Radcliffe AM FTSE F C i i N ti l W t C i i Former Commissioner, National Water Commission Chair, Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering - Water Forum Honorary Research Fellow, CSIRO john.radcliffe@csiro.au

2 Darwin AUSTRALIA WESTERN AUSTRALIA Perth NORTHERN TERRITORY SOUTH AUSTRALIA QUEENSLAND Alice Springs Adelaide NEW SOUTH WALES VICTORIA Melbourne TASMANIA Brisbane Sydney Canberra Hobart NEW ZEALAND Auckland Wellington Christchurch Australia is a federation of States established in 1901 The peak negotiating body between Australia is a federation of States, established in The peak negotiating body between the Australian and States governments is the Council of Australian Governments (CoAG). The States and Territories have constitutional responsibility for water

3 CLIMATE: Change in annual mean rainfall ( ) from long term average Getting Wetter Northern Australia (sub-tropical) has been getting wetter, Southern Australia has been getting drier Getting Drier

4 Long term rainfall trends - Perth ANNUAL CATCHMENT TO PERTH DAMS (GL) Is it Climate Variability? Is it Climate Change? Australians are more aware of water resource options Most accept that Australia entering a drier phase of climate Perth now gets 60% of its water from Groundwater

5 Water restrictions 5 years 2002 to 2007 All these cities were at or near level 5 during No restriction Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 TOOWOOMBA EYRE PENINSULA BENDIGO GOULBURN Source: Jacobson and Podger, CSIRO.

6 THE 1994 WATER REFORM 1. Separation of land from water 2. Separation of Water Resource Management from water supply services

7 Intergovernmental Agreement on the National Water Initiative Clauses, signed by Commonwealth and all States and Territories, established agreed water policies i

8 National Water Initiative Provides for Progressing Reform:- Water access entitlements and planning framework Water markets and trading, Best practice water pricing i and institutional arrangements, Management of Environmental Water, Water Resource Accounting Urban Water Reform, Community Partnerships, Knowledge and Capacity Building.

9 Who Manages Australia s Water? COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS Prime Minister, Premiers, Chief Ministers + 1 rep of ALGA MINISTER FOR CLIMATE CHANGE AND WATER (Hon. Penny Wong) NATIONAL WATER COMMISSION Agreed policies Water entitlements Water markets & trading, Water pricing Management of Environmental Water, Water Accounting Urban Water Community partnerships and Adjustment, Knowledge and Skills Monitors progress NWI C wealth and State Water Ministers NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT MINISTERIAL COUNCIL C w DEWHA and State Govt Departments Standing Committee on Natural Resource Management (CEOs) Water Res. Depts Catchment Mgmt Authorities/NRM Boards Pi Private Public land land managers managers Murray Darling Basin Authority Utilities/Infrastructure Depts Water Corps., Water Companies, Local Government Industrial & Agricultural water users Domestic consumers

10 CSIRO Murray Darling Basin Sustainable Yields Study For 600 river reaches, 18 sub catchments, t assess Inflows Outflows Diversions Floodplain losses Surface-groundwater exchanges Storages Climate change effect? Redu uction due to Climate change Possible Climate Change impact

11 Cities are moving to diversification of water supplies FIRST USE Run-off in Catchments (Overland flows, rivers, dams, reservoirs) Groundwater Harvested rainwater Stormwater RECYCLED SOURCES Wastewater (Industrial and Domestic) Sea water (Desalination)

12 Urban housing - Dual Reticulation Two Water pipes pp drinking + recycled water Sydney 160,000 new homes Melbourne 60, homes by 2030 Adelaide 8000 homes - south 4000 homes - north (recycled+stormwater) (Recycled water used for household gardens, toilet flushing, car washing, ornamental water bodies, public gardens, industry and irrigated agriculture) Recycled water in purple pipes

13 On-site recycling SA Water House, Victoria Square, Adelaide Water efficient taps, toilets and waterless urinals with AAAA rating 70 per cent less mains water used than a conventional office building saving 11 million litres of water a year Recycled water and rainwater for toilets

14 Progress in water recycling, Capital RECYCLING ¹ - % RECYCLING ² - % RECYCLING ³ - % SYDNEY FUTURE TARGETS (2003, 2009 aspirations) 10% wastewater recycling by 2020 (12% by plan) 15% less water consumption, MELBOURNE * % waste-water recycling by BRISBANE Increase recycling to 17% by 2010 ADELAIDE PERTH CANBERRA ML recycled water/yr (33% by 2025) (45% by 2013 in 2009 plan) 20% recycling by 2012 (30% by 2030 in 2009 plan) 1.J.C. Radcliffe, Water Recycling in Australia. Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, Melbourne, 2004, 233pp 2.J.C.Radcliffe, Advances in Water Recycling rd Australasian Water Recycling Conference, University of NSW, Sydney, July WSAA/NWC National Performance Report

15 Adelaide Stormwater Recycling Storage Pond Wetland Settling Pond ASR = Aquifer storage and recovery Storage and wetland water treatment basins under bird-proof netting, Parafield Airport, South Australia (City of Salisbury)

16 Indirect potable recycled stormwater, Orange, New South Wales Orange, New South Wales Blackmans Swamp Creek catchment (3417Ha - 67% urban) collects stormwater in 200ML settling pond, coagulating batch ponds existing Suma Park Dam water treatment (coag., sediment., filter, O3, BAC, Cl) drinking water supply. Annual yield ~ 1300ML

17 DESALINATION Capital Cities (Climate independent water supply) Sydney 90GL/yr, Kurnell Veolia Water (Veolia and John Holland builders) Melbourne 160 GL/yr Kilcunda (nr.wonthaggi) late 2011 AquaSure (Degrémont / Thiess / Macquarie Capital) SE Queensland 45GL/yr Tugun, WaterSecure (John Holland, Veolia Water, Sinclair Knight Merz, Cardno) Perth - 45GL/yr Kwinana, Dec Dégremont (Multiplex Degrémont) - 45GL/yr Binningup late 2011 Southern SeaWater Alliance (Tecnicas Reunidas, Valoriza Agua, Lucas, Worley Parsons & Water Corp). Adelaide 100GL/yr Port Stanvac water in Dec 2010 AdelaideAqua (Acciona Agua, United Utilities, McConnell Dowell and Abigroup) TOTAL DESALINATION CAPACITY 485 GL/year

18 South-East Queensland (Cancelled) Manufactured water Desalination Tugun Running, some replacements Recycling for drinking (Western Corridor RO Scheme) Bundamba (operating) Gibson Island Luggage Point Completed and tested, Used for drinking when Dams < 40% full Bundamba Luggage Point Gibson Island Tugun

19 Healthy, safe and reliable water supplies National Water Quality Management Strategy Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (endorsed, published , being reviewed 2010) Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling - Phase 1 Managing Health and Environmental Risks (Ministers approved 2006, published) Phase 2 Recycled Water for Drinking (Ministers approved April 2008, Published) - Stormwatert and - Managed Aquifer Recharge (Ministers approved 2009 published) p

20 Reduced consumption - behavioural change Rainwater tanks now obligatory, Permanent water conservation measures in place New houses must each target savings of litres per year BRISBANE Consumption, KL per person / day? Data from Dan Spiller QWC Water restrictions

21 The National Water Commission view The introduction of purified recycled water into the drinking water supply (i.e. indirect potable reuse (IPR)) is an important option to improve Australia's long-term water security. The Commission strongly encourages objective and even-handed d consideration of purified recycled water as one option for communities to augment their water supplies. The main issue is one of gaining public trust and acceptance of new water sources

22 Dr John C Radcliffe AM FTSE Honorary Research Fellow Phone: john.radcliffe@csiro.au p p Thank you ATSE Contact Us Phone: or enquiries@csiro.au Web: