Respond to the challenges of urbanisation in a climate changed world
Increasing urbanisation places tremendous pressure on water supplies and the natural environment – this, combined with the forecast impacts of climate change, means many areas will struggle to provide for future population and economic growth. Integrated Water Cycle Management (IWCM) will play a key role in responding to these challenges, providing flexible and efficient water resource strategies that:
- are tailored to local needs
- embed water efficiency
- diversify water sources and build in the flexibility required to adapt to climate change
- enhance local amenity, by improving the water quality of natural waterways and creating new environments
- are designed for increased extremes events – both floods and droughts.
Innovative demand forecasting
Traditionally, planners have had to make broad assumptions about how water is used. However, with increasing water scarcity and reduced water security, planners need much more detailed information, to identify and assess opportunities for reducing demand for potable water.
Urban Developer offers a major step forward, with the incorporation of a demand estimation component – the Behavioural End-use Stochastic Simulator (BESS).
BESS can estimate individual water uses, such as showers, washing machines, toilets, taps, gardens etc., at sub-daily time steps (hour or minute), for single households to multiple households (100-1000s).
For indoor water use, the model can factor in household size and variation in use across the day and night, to model different water efficiency, alternative supply or recycling scenarios.
For outdoor use, the model can factor in weather conditions, such as rainfall and temperature, providing a more accurate assessment of outdoor demand and the likely effect of alternative supplies, such as rainwater tanks or greywater re-use.
Flexible and adaptable
Urban Developer works across different time and spatial scales and development types. We have created a flexible and adaptable tool that can model a wide range of scenarios, including different spatial scales and development types, from individual houses, medium density townhouses and apartment buildings to high-rise, in new suburbs or re-development of existing areas.
Urban Developer can operate at time scales of seconds, minutes, months and years. A function that helps users to factor in short and long-term needs, from design storm events designs to the impacts of climate change.
A package for holistic water management
IWCM requires a holistic approach to water quality and quantity, across all scales. By combining the eWater Source with the Urban Developer and MUSICX plugins, water managers have the tools to design truly integrated water management solutions.
Designed to complement each other, MUSIC and Urban Developer were able to draw together information on water quantity (Urban Developer) and water quality (MUSIC) to develop IWCM solutions in urban areas. Users can now link these models to Source catchment and river system models, giving you the tools to explore possible interactions and to identify and test sustainable water management solutions across catchment and local scales.
Saves time and money
Urban Developer streamlines the design process, saving time and money in the crucial initial stages. Increasingly, urban development regulations require IWCM solutions. Urban Developer can help smooth the approval process, by providing a consistent evaluation framework and easy to understand assessments of the outcomes of different options.
IWCM can help reduce short and long-term project costs, and by using Urban Developer, users can benefit from fit-for-demand infrastructure, further reducing these costs and associated contributions. In the long-term, improved water efficiency and longer asset life give economic value to developers and future owners.