Informing infrastructure planning processes for IUWM projects

Water infrastructure planning has been practiced in much the same way for the centuries since the construction of the first water supply dams and sewers. This process has generally involved reactive, segmented and centralised infrastructure upgrades to meet specified service standards. In the last decade, increasing system stresses and new technologies are making traditional planning processes outdated. There is a growing acceptance of an Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM) ideology within both industry and academia worldwide. The IUWM approach pushes for proactive long term integrated planning of all water services including environmental protection and liveability. However, there are large gaps in knowledge in regards to the best way to implement IUWM planning. The current study has set out to (1) analyse eight IUWM project planning case studies to determine issues affecting implementation of IUWM, and (2) develop conceptual models for IUWM infrastructure planning. Melbourne, Australia has been selected as the area of interest because Melbourne is recognised as a world leader in water management practices. The study has utilised a combination of primary data from interviews with 34 industry experts from 19 different organisations and confidential project planning documents, as well as secondary data from literature, government strategies and reports. Industry consultation, case study analysis and conceptual model development has uncovered an assortment of original findings which have not been considered in water-related academic literature previously. These newly identified issues pose a threat, and also a direction for growth as IUWM planning processes evolve into the future.