Integrated water management

We are working on a more holistic approach to delivering Melbourne’s urban water services. This includes making use of alternative water sources – like recycled water and stormwater – to reduce pressure on our drinking water supplies while improving the liveability of our communities.

Why we need a different approach

Melbourne’s water industry has provided safe and reliable water services for over 125 years. However, we need to adopt a different way of thinking to respond to the opportunities and challenges facing us. These include:

• population growth
• climate change and variability
• heightened community expectations on service, liveability and affordability
• improving technology and science

The Victorian water industry has recognised we need a more integrated approach to delivering water services, in order to create more sustainable and liveable communities. This is known as integrated water management.

Why integrated water management?

Integrated water management brings together all facets of the water cycle to maximise social, environmental and economic outcomes. By considering the whole water cycle when planning and delivering services, we can:

• collaborate on project design and coordinate actions
• share knowledge and expertise
• take advantage of links between different elements and develop solutions that have broader benefits over a long period of time
• build more water sensitive and resilient communities.

This wouldn’t be possible if we managed each system in isolation.

These benefits often extend beyond the solution to the initial problem. They can include:

• environment – leaving more water for healthy river flows and reducing stormwater pollution
• liveability – creating green open spaces, reducing the heat island effect and minimising flooding
• economic – supporting industry and agriculture
• affordability – reducing costs over the long run
• long-term resilience – diversifying our sources of water so we can withstand future shocks like droughts and floods.
• community wellbeing – providing more green open space, and access to healthier, cleaner waterways.

What a liveable city looks like

Proactively investing in alternative water and water efficiency initiatives will see substantial change over the next 50 years. We aim for Melbourne to remain one of the world’s most liveable cities in 2060 – healthy, sustainable and prosperous through the availability of tailored water products.

Specifically, we aim to see:

• high-quality drinking water from pristine catchments continues to be enjoyed by Melburnians for purposes like drinking, cooking and showering
• fit-for-purpose water is applied sensibly to uses such as watering gardens, flushing toilets and washing clothes
• parks, gardens and sports fields throughout Melbourne help cool our city and contribute to health and wellbeing
• healthy waterways link communities together and connect them with the natural environment
• affordable and reliable water services support Melbourne’s economic prosperity, with residents and businesses confident that the right water services will be available when needed at a reasonable price

Case study: transformational catchment scale IWM for Melbourne’s west

The Werribee River catchment is one of Victoria’s fastest developing areas and projected to grow by 1 million people in the next 30 years. This growth will produce increased volumes of recycled water and stormwater, which will need to be stored and re-used to effectively manage water resources. Additionally, the area faces the challenge of a drying climate while continuing to provide irrigation water for local food production.

Together with the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), Southern Rural Water, Greater Western Water and Traditional Owners, we are looking at reconfiguring use of water in the Werribee catchment to:

• deliver reliable, fit-for-purpose recycled water for irrigation, reducing demand on the Werribee River and freeing up over 22GL of water for other uses
• redistribute recovered water to Traditional Owners, the environment, and for urban use

Project benefits will include:

• Securing the future of the region’s irrigation districts: provide reliable water supply to ensure the longevity of irrigation districts, contributing to food security, local employment, and community sustainability. Learn about how growers in the Werribee Irrigation District have shaped the project so far at the Southern Rural Water website.
• Cultural outcomes for Traditional Owners: Returning water access rights and building Traditional Owner capability to participate in water management.
• Health of waterways: Improved environmental flow patterns enhancing ecological health and benefiting native flora and fauna. 
• Increased visitation and recreation: Healthier waterways encourage increased visitation and activities like swimming and fishing, bringing economic benefits for local businesses. 
• Additional water for use as urban supply: To be able to transfer water between storages in the right place at the right time for a rapidly growing population and changing climate. 
• Local employment: Supporting existing local businesses and over 450 jobs that are directly and indirectly involved in food production and distribution. Additional jobs created through construction and expansion of visitation. 

In a significant milestone for the project, partner organisations, with the support of the Victorian Minister for Water and a Werribee Irrigation District customer reference group, have completed a preliminary business case and are now seeking co-funding for a detailed business case from the Federal Government’s National Water Grid Authority. A funding submission was lodged with the National Water Grid Fund on Friday 29th November. The outcome of this federal funding application should be known by mid-2025.