Accurate water balance modelling underpins all successful recycled water schemes. Typically, a standard period of historic rainfall and evaporation data has been used to model the scheme requirements. However, climate change, and the recent drought and flooding experienced across much of Australia questions whether the standard period of data will adequately capture future climate variations. The risk is that infrastructure investments based on the standard data alone will not be appropriate for the future climate. This paper looks at recent changes to the approach of water balance modelling from a standard historic climate model, to a more sophisticated tool that can consider various climate scenarios and be used to guide strategic planning and investment.
Read the full paper here, which was presented at the Australian Water AssociationInternational Conference on Water Reclamation and Reuse, Brisbane (2015).