Designing cost effective water demand management programs in Australia

Area of Science:

• Environmental Planning
• Water Resource Management
• Economics

Background:

• Traditional water management often focuses on increasing supply.
• Demand-side management and conservation are increasingly critical for urban water security.
• Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) offers a comprehensive approach to water resource management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the application of Least Cost Planning (LCP) within Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) for urban water demand management.
• To illustrate the use of LCP and IRP with Australian case studies (Sydney and Northern NSW).
• To determine cost-effective water conservation and supply augmentation strategies.

Main Methods:

• Least Cost Planning (LCP) for evaluating demand management and supply options.
• End-use analysis for detailed water usage investigation and demand forecasting.
• Iterative IRP process involving option evaluation, investment, and performance measurement.
• Levelised unit cost analysis to determine the optimal mix of strategies.

Main Results:

• LCP effectively identifies the most economical water conservation measures and supply solutions.
• End-use analysis enables robust demand forecasting and the development of targeted conservation programs.
• IRP, incorporating LCP, facilitates an iterative planning process for cost-effective demand management.

Conclusions:

• LCP is a crucial tool for optimizing urban water demand management strategies.
• IRP, enhanced by LCP, provides a framework for sustainable and economically efficient water resource planning.
• Effective demand management programs require detailed analysis and consideration of factors beyond economic cost.