Collaborating directly with state government policy-makers, local government, water utility planners and far-sighted developers to implement sustainable urban water and Integrated Water Management (IWM).
As a research pioneer in integrated water systems, ISF has led the way in approaches that consider urban water systems as a whole. Under a range of names from Integrated resource planning (IRP), to Integrated water Cycle Management and IWM and more recently Circular Economy and One Water ISF has been at the forefront of considering all options for urban water and sanitation systems. This means across looking scales from the single lot, to precincts, suburbs and whole cities and considering the interlinkages of urban water, energy, organic resources and foods systems.
Our approach focusses on urban water a wholistic system proving a range of sustainable services to communities and has been applied in many different projects. These have included designing innovating sustainable precincts, such as Central Park in Sydney, providing policy advice to State Governments looking to increase recycled water and implement IWM, with water utilities aiming to improve the economic viability of recycling schemes and in frameworks such as One Water that guide communities to integrated water outcomes.
For more than a decade, ISF has chaired the Local Water Solutions Forum, a unique group that brings together all facets of the water industry, from commercial interests to federal and state governments, local councils to regulators, developers and researchers interested in seeing decentralised wastewater reuse and stormwater harvesting schemes considered as part of sustainable urban water and IWM. The group's work has proven to influence water policy and facilitate capacity building across the sector.
PROJECT | 2018
Capturing the value of recycled water: a systems approach
There is general agreement that traditional approaches to water planning and delivery will fail to adequately address the challenges facing the water industry. These include: meeting the needs of growing populations; improving resilience and managing climate change impacts; maintaining and replacing ageing infrastructure; reflecting shifting community expectations; and maintaining affordability.
Integrated Water Management and recycled water have the potential to help Hunter Water respond to a number of challenges and opportunities it will face over the next 20 years. Although a range of recycled water opportunities have been identified in the Hunter Region, implementation remains challenging. This report helps to explain why and identify areas for influence and change. It sets the baseline for existing knowledge from which to develop a richer picture of Hunter Water-specific opportunities and barriers.
The synthesis report clearly articulates what drives our current investment patterns in large-scale infrastructure and what limits our investment in recycled water and alternative solutions. It built on a recent PhD, funded by Sydney Water, that investigated the costs, benefits, barriers, and opportunities concerning distributed recycled water systems in Sydney. In addition, the report reviewed, updated, and synthesised policy settings, practices, and insights from published and grey literature, and from Hunter Water staff, alongside insights from other jurisdictions in Australia and internationally.
Client: Hunter Water
Researchers: Cynthia Mitchell, Rachel Watson, Simon Fane, Emily Prentice, Katie Ross, Joanne Chong, Federico Davila
PROJECT | 2018
Water Smart Cities: Review of Wilton Growth Area IWM
The NSW Department of Planning and Environment engaged ISF to systematically review the way that water infrastructure had been planned for in the Wilton Growth Area, which it had identified as a learning case study for the integration of land-use and water planning in Greater Sydney's new development areas.
The project was delivered in three phases through an extensive review of planning, regulatory and technical documents, and one-to-one confidential interviews with key stakeholders involved in the water and land-use planning process.
The first phase – site-specific analysis comprised a peer review of water infrastructure planning for the Wilton Growth Area, including technical reviews of the engineering options and economic studies that had been commissioned by the Department of Planning and Environment between 2014 and 2017. The phase one report aimed to chart a path forward for water infrastructure planning in the Wilton GA and to assist the Department's Land Release team in finalising the strategic planning documents for the site.
The second phase analysed the land-use and water planning process more generally, using Wilton Growth Area as a case study. It presented the outcome of a review of the water infrastructure planning process for Wilton Growth Area to determine whether the current departmental processes were suitable for driving integrated water management in growth precincts. The lessons learnt from Wilton Growth Area were also designed to be adopted for pilot integrated water management projects being progressed by the Department’s Watersmart Cities team.
The third and final deliverable from the project was a four-page communication piece designed for dissemination to participants in future integrated water management projects. It presented the learnings from the first two reports of the Wilton Growth Area case study review.
Location: Wilton
Client: NSW Department of Planning and Environment
Researchers: Simon Fane, Joanne Chong
PROJECT | 2018-2019
Circular economy analysis for the Lower Hunter Water System
This study focused on all water, organic waste and energy material flows within the Lower Hunter. It built on previous work ISF completed for Sydney Water, which applied this focus to the Greater Parramatta and the Olympic Peninsular regions in Sydney.
The project explored four scenarios: Business as Usual 2017, Business as Usual 2047, Alternative 2047 and Alternative Plus 2047 (which included potable and non-potable reuse options). These prospective pathways provided Hunter Water staff with an alternative approach to integrating the material flows within the water and waste water system and revealed potential innovations for reducing the freshwater consumption and electricity demand from the grid by 2047.
Client: Hunter Water
Researchers: Pierre Mukheibir, Melita Jazbec, Ben Madden
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PROJECT | 2019
Challenging the planning assumptions for recycled water schemes
Questioning perceptions of recycled water presents opportunities to innovate.
PROJECT | 2017
Recycled water scheme survey
The Department of Planning and the Environment's Water and Utilities Branch (WUB) commissioned ISF to develop an accessible database of non-metropolitan utility recycled water and stormwater harvesting schemes across NSW.
The risks associated with recycled water and stormwater harvesting schemes are varied and complex – reflecting the many different permutations of source water and end uses.
Our project reviewed the range of water recycling schemes and stormwater harvesting schemes planned/operated by metropolitan councils and private operators, to help WUB develop the regulatory framework to ensure the safe and efficient management of these schemes. The information provided in the report and database assisted in the drafting of the regulations that satisfy the policy intent of WIC 14 while minimising unnecessary regulatory burden to the councils or private entities.
The associated database was set up in a manner that could easily be added to or queried in different ways if required in the future. The outputs also included clear graphical analysis of important trends.
Location: New South Wales
Client: Department of Planning and the Environment – Water and Utilities Branch
Researchers: Rachel Watson, Simon Fane, Emily Prentice
PROJECT | 2015
Pathways to One Water
Outlining methods to prompt a necessary transformation of the way water services are considered and managed.
PROJECT | 2011-2016
Making better recycled water investments
This national collaborative research sought to shape the knowledge base and future actions of key investors and decision-makers in recycled water. ISF researchers worked with 12 partner organisations representing key stakeholder groups – utilities, developers, local authorities, technology providers and regulators – to develop eight wide-ranging case studies.
Resources
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Local recycled water in Sydney: A policy and regulatory tug-of-war (2017) (Journal Paper)
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Urban Metabolism of Bangalore City: A Water Mass Balance Analysis (2018) (Journal Paper)
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Challenges and Practical Approaches to Water Reuse Pricing (2019) (Report)
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Integrated resource planning for urban water (2011) (Resource papers)
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Costing for sustainable outcomes in urban water systems (2007) (Guide)
