No abstract

Recently climate change has challenged Australia, inflicting climate extremes of increasing severity, with droughts, bushfires, and floods breaking historical records. Events such as the 2017–2020 drought, the 2019–2020 Black Summer bushfires, and the 2021–2022 East Australian Floods have adversely affected water quality and supply in many regional New South Wales centres. Future events are predicted to increase in severity, and vulnerable Local Government Areas (LGAs) need to prepare to ensure water quality for their residents. Currently, there are limited information and case studies documenting the ongoing effects of climate change on water management for regional NSW centres. This research addresses the existing knowledge gap by providing insight into regional NSW LGAs affected by droughts, bushfires and floods, the challenges faced, the capacity to maintain water quality to Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG) and the ability to ensure sufficient storage supply. DAC (drought), BAC (bushfire) and FAC (flood) LGAs supported the case studies produced to target councils’ management during these periods, highlighting the success of the strategies and treatments implemented. The performance of the LGAs proved their existing systems could maintain water quality and supply throughout the differing climate extremes. Practices within the catchment management and treatment procedures require continual improvement to meet the increasingly volatile climate effects and heightened system demand of increased populations. This study provides recommendations to help address the impacts of future climate extreme events on the specified LGAs and other LGAs across regional NSW.

No abstract

Climate change is altering weather patterns, which affects water supply systems globally. More frequent extreme weather events like floods, droughts, and heatwaves are impacting the availability of raw water sources that supply cities. These events can lead to less water, higher demand, and potential infrastructure damage. Water agencies and utilities must develop resilient and adaptable systems to withstand shocks and stresses. Case studies demonstrating the impact of extreme weather on water quality are important for developing resilient water supply systems. This paper documents the challenges faced by regional New South Wales (NSW) in managing water quality and supply during extreme weather events. Effective treatment processes, such as ozone treatment and adsorption, are used to maintain drinking water standards during extreme weather. Water-efficient alternatives are provided, and critical water networks are inspected to identify leaks and reduce system demand. Local government areas must collaborate and share resources to ensure that towns can cope with future extreme weather events. Systematic investigation is needed to understand system capacity and identify surplus resources to be shared when demand cannot be met. Pooling resources could benefit regional towns experiencing both floods and droughts. With expected population growth in the area, regional NSW councils will require a significant increase in water filtration infrastructure to handle increased system loading. Continuous research, regular strategy reviews, and innovative approaches are essential to ensure a secure and reliable water supply during future extreme weather events.