Urban water
Water resources in our cities are under increasing pressure from growing populations and high per capita water consumption.
These growing demands come at a time when our supplies have been affected by years of drought, and as waterway health continues to decline.
The overarching objective as defined by the National Water Initiative is for a reliable, healthy, safe and sustainable urban water supply.-2009 biennial assessment - |
To ensure the security of urban water resources we need to:
- improve the reliability of water supply by using water from a range of supply options that are rainfall resistant and environmentally sustainable
- improve water efficiency and reduce water use to ease demand
- improve integrated resource planning for water, including better integration of energy and environmental considerations
- include Integrated Water Cycle Management and Water Sensitive Design in urban planning processes
- encourage markets and sophisticated pricing of water including clearer entitlements for new water supplies
- implement Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) schemes where feasible. These have the potential to reduce demand on urban water supply systems as well as provide protection for some threatened groundwater resources.
Urban water reform
The National Water Initiative sets the framework for urban water reform through a series of key water supply, efficiency and pricing innovations. The overarching objective is for reliable, healthy, safe and sustainable urban water supply.
- Find out more about Urban water reform
Supply options
With less run-off filling the dams that supply cities, and increasing pressure on groundwater resources, we need to look at a range of options to augment urban water supplies. The National Water Initiative recognises the need to examine all water supply options in order to find the most cost-effective and sustainable combination of actions to secure water for our cities.
- Find out more about Supply options
Demand management
Managing urban water demand through the right mix of restrictions, pricing and water efficiency is essential for ensuring healthy, safe and reliable water supplies in times of low water availability.
- Find out more about Demand management
Integrated urban planning
By ensuring that urban water management is sensitive to natural hydrological and ecological cycles, integrated urban water planning aims to achieve more effective approaches to urban water demand management and supply planning.
- Find out more about Integrated urban planning