A new collaborative effort between the Water Services Assocation of Australia (WSAA) and Sydney Water will attempt to examine just how the nation’s $120 billon worth of water assets can be bets managed and protected in the face of extreme climate events.

The federally funded project has just released the new tool called AdaptWater, and enables water utilities to identify what infrastructure is most likely to be threatened by events such as floods, bushfires, high winds and heatwaves.

“We have seen a marked increase in the occurrence of extreme events, and are now able to identify where investment is needed before facing a crisis. Our members operate around 260,000 km of pipeline and hundreds of water and sewage treatment facilities. Ensuring these assets perform reliably under climate change will be an important outcome of the AdaptWater tool,” WSAA’s Executive Director Adam Lovell said.

“Risk associated with climate change can be considered alongside other quantified risks within the decision making process, including system risks, engineering risks and operational risks, this allows utilities to facilitate more informed decisions within projects.

“Being able to tackle the highest priorities and manage capital expenditure will also help reduce upward pressure on customer’s bills.”

The project received funding from the Australian Government’s Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education (DIICCSRTE), and from WSAA members, and will deliver efficient spending outcomes for government, regulators and customers.