Council has been awarded the ‘Innovation in Water Supply and Wastewater’ award at the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA) Engineering Excellence Awards.
This prestigious award recognises the development of the Central Coast Water Security Plan (CCWSP), which outlines a path to a resilient and sustainable water future our growing region.
Council used the detailed analysis of the latest water demand forecasts and worked closely with the Central Coast community to create a Plan to meets our region’s water supply needs in the short, medium and long terms for both normal and drought conditions.
This adaptive Plan allows for multiple future unknowns where additional water source solutions can be accelerated or delayed as required.
The CCWSP is built around three key pillars – conserve and use water efficiently, maximise existing water supplies to delay new water supplies, and develop new rainfall independent supplies for an adaptive future.
Future uncertainty – including the potential for sustained droughts and the impacts of climate change – are addressed through building capacity to respond adaptively and promptly to the prevailing conditions, for example purified recycled water and desalination projects can be accelerated or delayed as required.
Council embarked on an extensive community consultation process and worked closely with traditional owners to ensure that the Plan meets the needs of the people it represents.
The CCWSP is a sustainable, resilient and adaptive water future strategy that contributes to the health and prosperity of all Central Coast Community members.
Snapshot of the Central Coast Water Security Plan (CCWSP)
The CCWSP is designed to be:
- Agile – it adapts to the future uncertainties of population and climate.
- Efficient – maximises water sources that are currently readily available to delay more costly, new water supply options.
- Collaborative – prepared with input from the community, Hunter Water Corporation and Department of Planning Industry and Environment.
- Cost effective – minimises the impacts upon the environment and bolsters the resilience of our water supply in a cost effective manner.
The CCWSP is built around three key pillars:
- Pillar 1: Conserve and use water efficiently
- Maximise efficient water conservation measures.
- Pillar 2: Maximise existing water supplies to delay new water supplies
- Fully utilise existing storage capacity in Mangrove Creek Dam and maximise on water transfers with Hunter Water Corporation.
- Sustainably extract and treat water from existing groundwater supplies.
- Utilise existing recycled water facilities to supply non-drinking water for irrigation and industry.
- Pillar 3: Develop new rainfall independent supplies for an adaptive future
- Consult the community and regulators to further progress purified recycled water for drinking (PRW).
- Provide new climate independent supplies of water through PRW and desalination.
- Deliver these new supplies adaptively.
View the CCWSP online by visiting Your Voice Our Coast.
