Shaping our Cities with Precinct Based Water Systems - How Does it Work?

Robert Keessen, Peter Gillam, Andrew Chapman, Abel Immaraj - Aurecon

Urban Planning is evolving towards precinct-planning and place-making to create attractive places for people to live in with their own sense of community. Water planning is evolving beyond provision of essential water, sewerage and drainage services provision to city and landscape shaping, to enhance the natural environment and create sustainable places for communities.

Urban water and wastewater systems have traditionally followed a centralised approach. Although they have been technically and economically viable for some time precinct scale schemes have not been widespread to date. Local, precinct based water solutions take a different approach to delivering water services. It involves collaboration with stakeholders, integrated and adaptive water cycle planning and more sophisticated economic analysis and funding. 

The paper outlines learnings and experience with case examples of how local water solutions have been brought to life.