eWater

eWater announces executive leadership changes

Danielle Serena

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eWater today announced that Chief Executive Officer Michael Wilson has resigned and will conclude his role with the organisation on 3 July 2026.

eWater Limited Board, Chair, Greg Claydon, thanked Michael for his leadership and contribution over the past four and a half years.

“Michael has led eWater through an important period of growth and development, strengthening our products, services and partnerships while remaining focused on our mission to support better water management outcomes.

“On behalf of the Board, I thank Michael for his commitment to eWater and wish him every success for the future.”

Michael said it had been a privilege to lead the organisation and work alongside the eWater team.

“I have loved my time at eWater and have really enjoyed working with such a talented, committed and thoughtful group of people. I am grateful for the trust, collaboration and support I have received throughout my time as CEO.”

As part of these leadership changes, eWater is pleased to confirm Stephen Cory’s return as Chief Operating Officer. His experience, relationships and deep familiarity with the organisation will provide valuable continuity during this period of transition.

eWater also confirms the appointment of Trudy Green, as General Manager of eWater Solutions. Ms. Green brings strong commercial and relationship expertise to this role, and we look forward to her continued leadership within our hydrological and software development portfolio.

Stephen and Trudy join Sarah Ransom who continues her role as General Manager of the Australian Water Partnership and its important work with partners across the Indo-Pacific region on behalf of the Australian Government.

eWater remains in a strong position, with an experienced leadership team and a clear strategic direction. The organisation continues to focus on delivering high-quality products and services for clients, partners and stakeholders.

Learn more: www.ewater.org.au

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A University of Sydney engineering student is helping to explore whether nature-based solutions can help strengthen Sydney’s long-term water resilience by improving hydrological performance of the Warragamba catchment in New South Wales, Australia.

A recent honours thesis by University of Sydney civil engineering student Robert Mueller explored whether nature-based solutions could help strengthen Sydney’s long-term water resilience by improving the hydrological performance of the Warragamba catchment. 

The project investigated the concept of “landscape rehydration”. This is an approach to land and water management that aims to restore the natural ability of landscapes to retain, infiltrate and slowly release water. Landscape rehydration seeks to improve catchment function to increase water yields, better attenuate flows and improve water quality.  

The research focused on the Wollondilly River catchment, one of the major tributaries flowing into Lake Burragorang behind Warragamba Dam. This catchment contains extensive agricultural land that has experienced significant historical degradation through vegetation clearing, grazing pressure, erosion and channel incision. These processes have altered how rainfall moves through the landscape, increasing runoff and erosion while reducing groundwater recharge and long-term moisture retention. 

Robert’s thesis examined whether restoring more natural hydrological processes could increase inflows to Warragamba Dam during drought periods. The landscape rehydration methods considered included leaky weirs, contour banks, riparian revegetation and improved grazing and vegetation management practices designed to maintain permanent ground cover. 

Many of these ideas are inspired by Australia’s historical “chain-of-ponds” systems. These are wetland-like landscapes that once naturally slowed water movement through catchments across southeastern Australia. These systems historically stored water within floodplains and shallow aquifers, sustaining stream baseflows and vegetation during dry periods. European settlement, land clearing and channel erosion disrupted many of these systems, changing catchment hydrology. 

To investigate the potential impacts of restoring these functions, Robert developed a series of rainfall-runoff models using the eWater Source platform and the GR4J hydrological model. The modelling framework incorporated rainfall, evapotranspiration, land-use and streamflow data collected across several decades. Different model configurations were then calibrated to represent “wet,” “dry,” and “rehydrated” landscape conditions. 

Figure 2 Simulated cumulative catchment yield for the Wollondilly during the 1993-1994 dry spell, comparing scenarios with and without landscape rehydration (Mueller 2025). 

The modelling results suggested that catchment-scale landscape rehydration could produce substantial increases in water yield during drought conditions. Simulated drought-period inflows increased by approximately 20–30%, equivalent to more than 20 gigalitres of additional inflow annually. While this would not eliminate Sydney’s future water security challenges, it represents a potentially significant contribution toward improving drought resilience within the city’s existing water supply system. 

The research also demonstrates the growing importance of advanced hydrological modelling tools in evaluating nature-based interventions. Using eWater Source, GIS analysis and long-term climate and streamflow datasets, the project moved beyond conceptual discussion and quantitatively tested how restored landscape processes may influence large-scale water supply outcomes. 

Need more information?

To read Robert Mueller’ full thesis papers: Research Papers – eWater

To learn more about the University of Sydney’s Civil Engineering School: School of Civil Engineering – The University of Sydney

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Two University of Sydney engineering students are helping tackle one of Sydney’s biggest future challenges: water security.

Using Australia’s leading water modelling platform, eWater Source, Irene Emvalomas and Karima Touma explored how climate change, population growth and changing hydrological conditions could impact Sydney’s drinking water supply. Their research reveals how advanced modelling tools are shaping smarter, more resilient approaches to urban water management, and why the next generation of engineers will play a critical role in securing Australia’s water future.

Two graduating civil engineering students at the University of Sydney, Irene Emvalomas and Karima Touma, have undertaken complementary honours thesis projects examining the future security of Sydney’s urban water supplies.

Together, their research highlights one of the most important challenges facing Australia’s largest city: how to ensure reliable water supplies in a future shaped by climate uncertainty, population growth and increasing pressure on existing infrastructure.

Irene Emvalomas focused on modelling the impacts of population growth and climate change on the Warragamba Dam system, which provides the majority of Greater Sydney’s drinking water. Her thesis explored how increasing water demand, combined with changing hydrological conditions, could affect long-term water security across the Greater Sydney region.

Warrragamba Dam and Catchment, NSW, Australia (Credit: Getty Images)

Using eWater Source, Irene developed a scenario-based modelling framework that simulated future supply-demand interactions under different combinations of climate and population growth assumptions. Her work demonstrated that increasing population demand significantly accelerates storage declines during drought conditions, while climate-adjusted inflow reductions further intensify the risks of supply shortfalls.

Karima Touma’s thesis approached the issue from a broader urban water security perspective, seeking to redefine how Sydney’s water resilience should be understood in a changing climate.

Her work examined the strengths and limitations of existing modelling frameworks while developing a new eWater Source model calibrated against historical flow data from 1990–2023. She then applied moderate and severe future climate scenarios to evaluate how Sydney’s hydrology may change over coming decades.

Warrragamba Dam, NSW Australia (Credit: Getty)

eWater Source is Australia’s leading integrated water modelling platform and is widely used by water utilities, governments, researchers and catchment management agencies. The software allows researchers to combine rainfall, streamflow, evaporation, catchment behaviour, water demand, infrastructure operations and climate scenarios within a single integrated modelling environment.

In these projects, Source enabled the students to move well beyond static calculations or simplified spreadsheet analyses. Instead, they were able to simulate how complex water systems behave dynamically over long periods under changing environmental and societal conditions.

Tools like eWater Source allow planners and researchers to evaluate “what-if” scenarios before crises occur. They support adaptive planning, identify vulnerabilities, test infrastructure resilience, and help governments make more informed long-term investment decisions.

These projects also demonstrate the growing importance of modelling literacy within civil and environmental engineering education. By learning to use sophisticated platforms such as eWater Source, students gain practical skills directly relevant to the future of water resource management in Australia. Their work contributes not only to academic understanding, but also to the broader national conversation about climate resilience, urban infrastructure, and sustainable water futures.

Together, these two theses illustrate how advanced modelling tools can transform our understanding of urban water security, and how the next generation of engineers is already contributing valuable insights into the future management of Sydney’s most critical resource.

Need more information?

To read Irene Emvalomas’ and Karima Touma’ full thesis papers: Research Papers – eWater

To learn more about the University of Sydney’s Civil Engineering School: School of Civil Engineering – The University of Sydney

 

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Using eWater Source and 32 climate projections, Water Corporation identified a significant decline in Harding Dam reliability under future climates.

The analysis revealed that longer drought sequences, not average rainfall change, pose the greatest risk to supply. The findings will directly inform future water planning and investment decisions in the Pilbara.

Water Corporation, in collaboration with the Western Australian Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (the Bureau), assessed climate change risks to Harding Dam, the primary water source for the West Pilbara Water Supply Scheme.

By combining the Bureau’s National Hydrological Projections with integrated modelling in eWater Source, the study translated climate uncertainty into clear insights about future water supply reliability.

The Challenge

Water Corporation has been working with DWER and the Bureau to understand how the Australian Water Outlook service, specifically the National Hydrological Projections, can be applied to assess climate change presents to the future reliability of the Harding Dam.

They found that planning water supply in the Pilbara was difficult due to:

  • Highly variable, cyclone-driven rainfall
  • Increasing temperatures and evaporation
  • Deep uncertainty in future climate conditions

Harding Dam is particularly sensitive because it depends on infrequent, high magnitude inflow events, while experiencing high evaporation losses.

Water Corporation needed to move beyond historical analysis to understand future reliability under climate change, assess risk across a wide range of scenarios and ultimately identify adaptation pathways.

 

The Approach

Water Corporation developed an integrated modelling framework in eWater Source that linked:

  • Rainfall-runoff processes
  • Dam storage and evaporation dynamics
  • Water supply demand and operational rules

Water Corporation generated multiple model simulations to test how the system behaved under different combinations of historical climate conditions (1940-2020) and the 32 future climate projections from the Bureau’s National Hydrological Projections to 2060.

For the Water Corporation, the undertook a second round of modelling to test more evolved options which has helped their asset managers to understand the supply capacity of the dam and inform the assessment of operational and supply options, including the viability of seawater desalination.

Using eWater Source, the team were able to run large ensembles of scenarios, capturing uncertainty and testing system response under a wide range of plausible futures.

Key Insights And Results

 

One of the key insights from the project was the modelling.

Using eWater Source, the modelling projected a noticeable decline in the proportion of time Harding Dam could reliably supply the West Pilbara Water Supply Scheme (link to scheme).

Applying the National Hydrological Projections with the water balance modelling found a significant reduction in supply reliability in future years, primarily due to extended drought duration.  

Further analysis revealed that:

  • Average rainfall changes alone do not explain system performance
  • Timing, sequencing, and variability of rainfall are critical
  • System reliability depends on meeting key inflow thresholds during wet seasons

Source enabled Water Corporation to:

  • Build end-to-end models linking climate, hydrology, and water systems
  • Run multiple scenarios and climate projections efficiently
  • Evaluate system performance under uncertainty
  • Test operational and infrastructure options

eWater Source provided the critical capability to translate climate projections into actionable insights for water supply reliability and planning.

Next Steps

Water Corporation is now undertaking a long-term water supply strategy together with detailed asset planning for the West Pilbara scheme. eWater Source and the BOM’s National Hydrological Projections will provide key tools and data to support this critical work.

The Western Australian Government is committed to ensuring water management and planning reflects the values of the communities they serve,  The  key insights and in-depth evaluation,  enable more informed decision-making in water management for the people of the Pilbara  and ensures the continued strategic investment in climate resilient water systems across the state.

More information on this work and the National Hydrological Projections data set is available at: Application of projections_ Harding Dam supply reliability.pdf

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Today we announce that Navan Tirupathi will be stepping down from his role as Chief Technology Officer at eWater to take up an exciting new international career opportunity.

Since joining us in August 2024, Navan has made a significant contribution to the organisation. His leadership has supported key platform enhancements to eWater Source and eWater MUSIC, strengthened engagement with our members and user community, and helped build and reinforce the capabilities across our software development team – positioning us strongly for the future.

Michael Wilson, Group CEO, said: “Navan has played an important role in strengthening eWater’s scientific technology foundations and capabilities. He leaves the organisation well positioned for its next phase, with important progress made across our platforms, our customer and stakeholder engagement, and our own talented team.

“While we are disappointed to see him go, we understand his decision and thank him for his very significant contribution to the company’s current and future success.”

We thank Navan for his efforts and commitment to eWater’s mission and wish him every success in the future.

 

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Congratulations to Sarah Ransom on being named Australian Water Association ACT Water Professional of the Year at the ACT Water Leaders Dinner & Awards 2026.

This is a fantastic and well-deserved recognition of Sarah’s leadership and her impact in advancing climate-resilient water resource management across the Indo-Pacific.

Michael Wilson, Group CEO, said, “Sarah’s achievement demonstrates the impact of purposeful leadership that brings people together and drives change and innovation through genuine partnerships. Sarah’s skills in distilling water challenges and building creative coalitions to solve them shows how collaboration can shape the direction of water governance, influence thinking, set agendas, and drive meaningful progress in Australia and across the Indo-Pacific region.”

At eWater Group, we value the role of long-term, trusted relationships in advancing the water sector, and it’s inspiring to see our people helping to shape lasting change.

Congratulations, Sarah Ransom – an outstanding achievement. 👏👏👏

Sarah Ransom is the General Manager of the Australian Water Partnership, managed by eWater Group on behalf of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

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eWater Limited Board and eWater Group wishes Deb Brown, Member-Nominated Director, all the best following the announcement of her resignation from the Board.

Today we announce with sadness the resignation of Deb Brown as a Director of eWater Limited.  Deb has served as the Member-nominated Director on the eWater Board from Victoria since 2021.

Ms Brown has made a valued contribution to the eWater Group during her tenure, bringing deep expertise in the water sector and a strong commitment to governance and ensuring value for money from the public investment in eWater’s tools and services. A trusted and respected leader with more than 20 years’ professional experience in the sustainable water resource management sector, she has provided strategic guidance across both governance and water resources matters.  Deb’s particular skills in policy analysis and public communications have also been of great benefit to eWater. 

Greg Claydon, Chair, eWater Limited Board, said “Deb has been an insightful and principled contributor to the Board. Her depth of sector knowledge and commitment to sustainable water management have strengthened our governance and strategic direction.”

Michael Wilson, Group CEO, eWater, said “We are grateful for Deb’s leadership and the perspective she has brought to the organisation. Her contribution has supported our mission and our impact across the sector.”

On behalf of the eWater Limited Board and eWater Group, we thank Ms Brown for her service and her broader contribution to the Victorian and Australian water sectors.

We wish her every success in her future endeavours and look forward to the continued impact of her work across the sector.

Learn more about eWater Group www.ewater.org.au

 

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We are excited to share with our community that MUSICX v2.1 will be available soon.

MUSICX v2.1 is a significantly enhanced version of our stormwater modelling tool designed to deliver greater performance, improved stability, and a stronger foundation for future innovation.

This is not a replacement. It’s a major upgrade that builds directly on MUSICX and takes it to the next level.

What’s Enhanced in MUSICX v2.1

  • Migration from .NET Framework 4.8 to .NET 8.0, delivering performance, stability, and security benefits
  • Significant runtime performance enhancements, bringing MUSICX in line with MUSIC 6 performance
  • Smarter execution: run only from the edited node to improve efficiency.
  • Direct Import of MUSIC 6 SQZ files in MUSICX without requiring MEF/MSF conversion
  • Numerous fixes improving model result accuracy, stability, and usability, including zoom fixes and reduced visual clutter.
  • New capabilities, including a Monthly Climate Scaling Extension and Python Extension, enabling climate-modified scenario runs and more advanced, flexible workflows

MUSICX v2.1 – the next evolution of MUSICX

 

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