← System Models Planning
What are these models?
Models that compare total water supply capacity against projected demand under different scenarios including population growth, climate change, and new infrastructure.
What are they used for?
- Identifying future supply shortages
- Planning new infrastructure investment
- Testing demand reduction strategies
- Comparing supply diversification options
Typical inputs
- Population growth projections
- Per capita consumption trends
- Climate impact on rainfall and runoff
- New supply source capacity
Typical outputs
- Supply deficit or surplus over time
- Infrastructure requirements and timing
- Scenario comparisons (dry year, climate change, growth)
Tools & sources
Where these models are used
| Case Study | Tool / Model | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| NEWater | Whole-of-system water resource model | Balances supply, demand, reuse, and desalination |
| Melbourne Water Conservation | REALM (Resource Allocation Model) | Simulates supply-demand under drought scenarios |
| Cape Town Day Zero Crisis | WCWSS system model | Models drought scenarios and supply constraints |
| National Desalination Programme | National water balance model | Plans desalination capacity against national demand |
| Beckton Desalination Plant | Reverse osmosis system models | Simulates energy use and output for drought activation |
Water • Singapore
NEWater
Advanced water recycling programme producing ultra-clean reclaimed water, supplying up to 40% of Singapore’s water needs.
Water • Australia
Melbourne Water Conservation
How Melbourne halved per-capita water use through behaviour change and demand management during the Millennium Drought.
Water • South Africa
Cape Town Day Zero Crisis
How Cape Town averted a complete municipal water supply shutdown during an unprecedented three-year drought through emergency demand management.
Water • Israel
National Desalination Programme
How Israel transformed from water scarcity to surplus through large-scale seawater desalination supplying 80% of domestic water.
Water • UK
Beckton Desalination Plant
London’s first desalination plant converting brackish Thames Estuary water into drinking water for drought resilience.
Related use cases
Decisions these models support:
- Balance supply across multiple sources — Coordinate between reservoirs, groundwater, desalination, and recycled water to meet daily demand...
- Plan long-term water supply — Assess whether current water sources will meet future demand given population growth, climate cha...
- Reduce water demand during shortages — Implement restrictions, campaigns, and pricing measures to cut water consumption when supply is r...
- Manage reservoir storage and releases — Decide how much water to store and how much to release from reservoirs, balancing supply security...
- Produce water from alternative sources — Activate desalination plants or other non-conventional supply sources to supplement supply during...