SA Water is inviting South Australians to participate in the planning of Adelaide’s water future strategy for the next five decades, through its Resilient Water Futures initiative.
The Resilient Water Futures initiative will develop a comprehensive urban water strategy outlining the state’s vision for a sustainable, climate-resilient approach to Adelaide’s water management.
Launched late March 2023, the Resilient Water Futures online survey is an opportunity to better understand the community’s values, ideas and preferences for future decisions on water management.
SA Water’s General Manager of Strategy, Engagement and Innovation, Nicola Murphy, said community input is an important part of the project.
“From drinking water reservoirs to stormwater management, the state’s water systems need to be resilient in the face of future uncertainty and increasing extreme weather such as floods, bushfire, and drought,” Ms Murphy said.
“Modelling shows that our changing climate could reduce water inflows to our drinking water reservoirs by as much as 35 per cent by 2050, and without action, this presents significant challenges to our available water sources.”
Ms Murphy said with the state’s population continuing to grow exponentially, it is important to start these conversations now to ensure we have sustainable water, wastewater, and stormwater services for decades to come.
“This is not just a quick tick-box survey – we want this to be an opportunity for everyone to provide a meaningful contribution towards this important initiative,” Ms Murphy said.
The Resilient Water Futures initiative is a collaboration led by SA Water, together with the Department of Environment and Water, the Environment Protection Authority, Local Government Authority, Green Adelaide, and Planning and Land Use Services.
The survey closes on 14 April 2023. For more information and to complete the survey, visit watertalks.sawater.com.au.
