A new study is urging water authorities to shift to a hybrid model, thereby giving more autonomy to water suppliers and inviting other service providers into the market, in order to meet future challenges of delivering secure, safe and sustainable water.
‘The Future of Urban Water: Scenarios for Water Utilities in 2040’ study, released by Arup and Sydney Water, maps how water supplies in Sydney and other cities could look 25 years into the future, given population growth, water scarcity and budget constraints.
The report claims the challenges of best serving water customers in the future can be met only by working collaboratively, interacting with stakeholders and being open to new ideas and innovation.
Working on the premise that in uncertain times, scenarios help foster greater understanding of potential future pathways and can encourage discussions about the best way forward, the study portrays four likely scenarios for the future of urban water utilities, including a hybrid approach.
“Arup believes our population will be best served if water authorities migrate towards a hybrid model which incorporates greater decentralisation and autonomous management of water supply, greater participation of additional service providers and smarter management of the water grid,” Daniel Lambert, Australasia water leader Arup, said.
The report maintains that if water utilities understand trends and plan for the future, they may be able to provide more engaging customer experiences, to make urban areas more liveable and get more out of their current and future assets.
“In Australian water utilities we have seen a shift in how they are looking to interact with their customers. They are increasingly recognising the importance of technology and how it can be used to provide real time information to their clients,” Lambert said.
In addition, Arup points out that the expertise and technology that Sydney Water and other Australian water utilities developed along the way represents intellectual property that could support new domestic and export revenue streams.
Image caption: Future urban water management scenario
Photo: Arup
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