The urban water security research alliance

Ensuring a sustainable future water supply for the people of South-East Queensland by partnering in the Urban Water Security Research Alliance.

• 2 January 2008 | Updated 14 October 2011

• Sustainable water supply 
• Partnering for quality research 
• Answering the big questions 

Sustainable water supply

Water is fundamental to our quality of life, to economic growth and to the environment.

With its booming economy and growing population, Australia's South-East Queensland (SEQ) region faces increasing pressure on their present water resources.

These pressures are compounded by the impact of climate variability and accelerating climate change.

Partnering for quality research

The Urban Water Security Research Alliance has been formed to address South-East Queensland's emerging urban water issues.

It is a A$50 million partnership over five years between:

• the Queensland State Government
• CSIRO
• the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland
• Griffith University, Brisbane.

As the largest urban water research program in Australia, the Urban Water Security Research Alliance will have a focus on water security and recycling.

But it will seek to align research where appropriate with other water reseach programs such as those of:

• other local SEQ water agencies
• the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Water Quality and Treatment
• e-Water CRC
• the Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA). 

The program will bring new research capacity to SEQ tailored to tackling existing and anticipated future risks, assumptions and uncertainties facing water supply strategy.

Answering the big questions

Research for the Alliance will be delivered under three research themes:

• Closing the Loop in our Water Supply System
• Informing Decision Making
• Managing our New Water Supply System.

These will examine fundamental issues necessary to deliver the region's water needs, including:

• ensuring the reliability and safety of recycled water systems
• advising on infrastructure and technology for the recycling of wastewater and stormwater
• building scientific knowledge behind the management of health and safety risks in the water supply system.

In addition to increasing community confidence in future water supply, the potential benefits from the program include:

• the economic, with new employment opportunities and the freeing up economic growth from the increasing uncertainty of rainfall and climate change
• the environmental, closing the water cycling loop and reducing dependence on the environment to supply water and assimilate waste
• contributing to the adoption of new practices in urban wastewater and stormwater recycling to increase our national water security.

Learn more about the Urban Water Security Research Alliance. [external link]