Planning scales and approval processes for IUWM projects; lessons from Melbourne, Australia

Water Policy ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 783-802 ◽  
Author(s):  
Casey Furlong ◽  
Saman De Silva ◽  
Lachlan Guthrie
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
International Research ◽  
Planning System ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Urban Water Management ◽  
Recycled Water ◽  
Financial Evaluation ◽  
Water Planning ◽  
Research Programmes

In the Australian context integrated urban water management (IUWM) processes consistently recommend the implementation of recycled water and stormwater harvesting projects. These projects are typically decentralised and planned by a variety of organisational types. Major international research programmes have thus far focused on how IUWM should be operationalised as a single-tier, city scale planning system. This study investigates IUWM in relation to two under researched aspects: planning scales and approval processes, by investigating eight project case studies from Melbourne, Australia. Results reveal that IUWM projects are often planned at the sub-regional and local scales, without coordination from metro scale strategies, and that many of these projects are experiencing issues achieving final approvals. Major barriers to approval include a lack of communication between regulators and planners, and the absence of consistent financial evaluation methods. A multi-tier water planning system has been proposed to lessen these barriers through effective division of decision making responsibilities across scales, and setting of consistent frameworks, methods, and objectives at the metro scale. It is considered that this multi-tier planning system may help facilitate the implementation of decentralised IUWM projects.

Realising sustainable urban water management: Can social theory help?

2013 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Bos ◽  
R. R. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Social Theory ◽  
System Change ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Urban Water Management ◽  
Sustainable Urban Water Management ◽  
Social Theories ◽  
Technical Systems

It has been acknowledged, in Australia and beyond, that existing urban water systems and management lead to unsustainable outcomes. Therefore, our current socio-technical systems, consisting of institutions, structures and rules, which guide traditional urban water practices, need to change. If a change towards sustainable urban water management (SUWM) practices is to occur, a transformation of our established social-technical configuration that shapes the behaviour and decision making of actors is needed. While some constructive innovations that support this transformation have occurred, most innovations remain of a technical nature. These innovative projects do not manage to achieve the widespread social and institutional change needed for further diffusion and uptake of SUWM practices. Social theory, and its research, is increasingly being recognised as important in responding to the challenges associated with evolving to a more sustainable form of urban water management. This paper integrates three areas of social theories around change in order to provide a conceptual framework that can assist with socio-technical system change. This framework can be utilised by urban water practitioners in the design of interventions to stimulate transitions towards SUWM.

scholarly journals Role of Models in the Decision-Making Process in Integrated Urban Water Management: A Review

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1252
Author(s):  
Leila Mosleh ◽  
Masoud Negahban-Azar
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Wastewater Management ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Urban Water Management ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Modeling Tools ◽  
Integrated Urban Water Management ◽  
Wide Range

Managing urban water systems in which stormwater, wastewater, and drinking water sectors affect each other is a difficult task that requires the right modeling tools for decision making. Integrated urban water management models (IUWMs) are tools that allow decision makers to demonstrate the effectiveness of various management, operational and design strategies. Although models are useful tools, the wide range of available models with many different capabilities make it challenging for the users to select an appropriate model for their specific objectives. In this review we investigated the capabilities of popular models in IUWM. We developed a comprehensive list of indicators to compare the capabilities of the models. We also analyzed the application of these models in a comparative way and evaluated their input requirements. Finally, we provided a procedure to select the appropriate model in the management environment based on the user’s needs. In summary, the results show that most of the models’ applications are focused on supply and demand, wastewater management, and stormwater management. Very few models consider social factors and policy aspects in IUWM. While each model has its own advantages, we found some of them, such as MIKE Urban, Hydro Planner, and Aqua Cycle, to be more comprehensive. Nevertheless, there are still gaps in the models in areas such as water-energy nexus, evaluating ecosystem services, including socioeconomic factors and sustainability analysis.

scholarly journals Third pipe water recycling

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Daniel Livingston Livingston
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Potable Water ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Water Industry ◽  
Urban Water Management ◽  
Recycled Water ◽  
Australian Water ◽  
Pipe Water ◽  
The Face ◽  
Supply Costs

Third pipe systems for recycled water are on the periphery of options for more resilient urban water management in the face of water scarcity. A number of schemes in the Australian water industry provide useful learnings. Even though direct supply costs are often higher than the potable water price, there are distinct circumstances where such schemes can be justified economically. Even where schemes have not been economic, there can be valuable lessons around the institutional alignment required to enable innovation for integrated urban water management.

Design of an institutional decision-making process: The case of urban water management

2009 ◽  
Vol 90 (2) ◽  
pp. 1030-1042 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Starkl ◽  
Norbert Brunner ◽  
Werner Flögl ◽  
Johann Wimmer
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Urban Water Management

A new approach to aid urban water management decision making using trade-off sacrifice modelled by fuzzy logic

2007 ◽  
Vol 56 (8) ◽  
pp. 11-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Lai ◽  
S. Lundie ◽  
N.J. Ashbolt
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Fuzzy Logic ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Management Decision ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Urban Water Management ◽  
Trade Off

An approach to aid decision making for urban water management is presented that is based on the concept of trade-off sacrifice level in pairwise comparisons between criteria, modelled using fuzzy logic. This approach is illustrated by a case study – selection of alternative water supplies for a Sydney household. Four key decision making criteria covering health, economic, environment and technical aspects are selected: annual probability of infection, life cycle energy use, life cycle cost and reliability. The decision making problem is to select between cases with different volume and application of recycled greywater and rainwater in light of the four criteria. Decision maker's preference is expressed by five levels of trade-off sacrifice between pairs of criteria. The decision makers can assign their preferences for sacrifice level by linguistic assessment and the output trade-off weight (TOW). Measures of decision makers' perceived trade-off level are modelled by a rule-based fuzzy logic control system. The final analysis shows the performance for each sacrifice class for each case, to aid overall decision making with stakeholders.

scholarly journals Collaborative, Risk-Informed, Triple Bottom Line, Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis Planning Framework for Integrated Urban Water Management

Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1722 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeanne Cole ◽  
Sybil Sharvelle ◽  
Neil Grigg ◽  
Gary Pivo ◽  
Jon Haukaas
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
Decision Analysis ◽  
Performance Indicators ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Urban Water Management ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Planning Framework

The historical division of water management into different sectors, with financially and technologically driven decision processes, makes taking a more holistic approach to finding sustainable solutions for urban water management difficult. Here, a planning framework for Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM) that evolved during a two-year study evaluating alternative strategies for dual water supply within a local government context is described. The planning framework was developed to overcome the obstacles that surfaced over the course of the study. It provides a structured approach to strategic decision making that integrates triple bottom line (TBL), multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), uncertainty and sensitivity analyses, and participatory decision making into an exploration of water supply alternatives. TBL assured stakeholders that the decisions considered the financial, social, and environmental performance. MCDA provided visibility into the benefits and trade-offs of the alternatives by providing a quantitative method for comparing alternatives that incorporates incommensurate performance indicators and priorities of multiple stakeholders. Uncertainty and sensitivity analyses addressed concerns regarding decision risk and improved transparency into inputs driving uncertainty in the analysis. Finally, a flexible participatory process helped to circumvent socio-institutional barriers by adapting the methodology and increasing cooperation among stakeholders and multidisciplinary experts. The resulting collaborative, risk-informed, TBL-MCDA (CRTM) planning framework helps to refine the feasible set of alternatives by providing more transparency into the drivers, technologies, and stakeholders influencing the decision. The planning framework increased the number of participants that were involved in the study, increased interaction between participants, changed the structure of the decision problem, increased the number of performance indicators considered, and improved stakeholder cooperation in the decision process.

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