research and planning

Tabulam Water Supply Preliminary Business Case

Project overview

The rural village of Tabulam, in the far north-east of New South Wales, has never had a town drinking water supply, with residents entirely reliant on rainwater tanks for household supply. The absence of a safe and reliable drinking water supply has left the community in a state of low water security and with poor water quality, including exposure to pathogens and potentially toxic blue green algae.

Orange Purified Recycled Water Treatment Demonstration Plant Preliminary Business Case

Project overview

Population growth, tourism, mining and agribusiness are all expected to increase pressure on Orange’s water supply. The business case will explore the potential of purified recycled water to address long-term water security issues in Orange. 

The project will explore the feasibility and benefits of:

NSW Far North Coast Regional Water Supply Preliminary Business Case

Project overview

Population growth has put pressure on town water supply systems in the Far North Coast region of New South Wales. Due to climate change, extreme dry periods are likely to increase and place further pressure on the region’s water supplies.

The preliminary business case will investigate the feasibility of several water supply options to improve the region’s climate-resilience. Options for consideration include:

Bermagui Water Security Preliminary Business Case

Project overview

The Bermagui town water supply system has been identified as having the greatest unaddressed water security risk in the South Coast region of NSW. The preliminary business case will explore infrastructure and non-infrastructure options to address water security and shortage issues. 

Bermagui draws its town water supply directly from the Brogo River, with releases supplied by the regulated Brogo Dam. The preliminary business case will investigate:

Rainfall, runoff and recharge – what has climate change done to this critical relationship?

Project overview

The current rainfall-runoff-recharge relationships for parts of South Australia were established in the late 1990s. This relationship was only calculated for the Mount Lofty Ranges’ surface water catchments even though, with some adjustments, it was applied to similar catchments in other parts of the state.

This project aims to develop new state-wide rainfall-runoff-recharge relationships that incorporate the impacts of climate change (particularly since the onset of Millennium drought) on this relationship across the state. 

Ensuring water security, economic prosperity and nature positive outcomes for Elliston

Project overview

The town of Elliston, located on the Eyre Peninsula, completely depends on the Bramfield groundwater resource for its water supply. This resource is diminishing in size due to the impacts of climate change. 

This project will research and investigate the long-term viability of the Bramfield groundwater resource. It will determine the longevity of the groundwater resource in a drying climate and the need for a climate-resilient water supply. This will help inform the type of infrastructure required, which may include:

Investigate impacts of parameter uncertainty in stochastic models on system yield

Project overview

The project aims to enhance water security for Tamworth and the Naomi Catchment. The enhanced modelling will address uncertainty and improve confidence in water security estimations for Tamworth and nearby urban centres.

The project will develop enhanced climate datasets, tailored for the Namoi Region.

The enhanced stochastic climate risk data accounts for uncertainty arising from using short datasets to calibrate and parameterise the stochastic model.

Numbulwar Water Security Strategy Phase 1

Project overview

The Numbulwar Water Security Strategy is a two-phase approach to develop long term water security in the northern community of Numbulwar. Numbulwar faces extreme risk of future water source failure. The Australian and Northern Territory Governments are committed to providing reliable water supply in the community.

The phase 1 package is a set of planning works to inform future phase 2 construction works.

Phase 1 includes:

APY Lands Groundwater Quantity and Quality Investigation

Project overview

In the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in the north-western part of South Australia, water supplies are reliant on shallow, low yielding groundwater systems. Water scarcity has impacts on health, wellbeing, and economic development.

Previous investigations identified aquifers with high yield and low groundwater salinity. These could be developed to support community and agricultural initiatives. Further work is required to underpin the sustainable use of these groundwater resources.