The bushfire threat to drinking water

Regional and metropolitan areas around NSW are facing water quality concerns in the face of the bushfire crisis.

Water decision making: Are politicians performing?

Australia’s record on delivering good public policy outcomes in water is laudable. But increasingly, in the face of climate change, we need to improve that performance.

The red herring in the water

New research from the University of Adelaide has shown that climate and economic factors are the main drivers of farmers leaving their properties in the Murray-Darling Basin, not reduced water for irrigation as commonly claimed.

Making better use of waste water

As regional Australian towns face the prospect of running out of water, it’s time to ask why Australia does not make better use of recycled wastewater.

Is our water safe to drink?

High standards of potable water depend on good policies, but current systems and legislation may not always be supported by solid scientific research or best practice in public health.

Managing the hidden water beneath our feet

Decision-makers have significant discretion when it comes to regulating groundwater, but there is too little transparency about how it is used and its effect on the local environment.

NSW residents want action to safeguard water supplies

As rainfall dwindles and reserves run dry, residents of NSW are increasingly anxious about the future of domestic fresh water supplies.

The global problem of thirsty cities

500 million people already experience water shortages around the world but better governance and smart water management could lead to collaboration rather than competition and manage our dwindling supplies more efficiently.

Preventing more fish deaths in the lower Darling

A new report for the government that investigates the causes of the recent mass fish deaths in the lower Darling River finds climate change and water access agreements helped create a deadly mix.

Water, water, not everywhere

Safe and clean access to water and sanitation is still not a right afforded to everyone, even in Australia, but tapping into a new way of thinking about water could benefit everyone.

Melbourne should use its desalination plants

Turning on the Wonthaggi water desalination plant now rather than later will save money in the long run and head off an emergency later for the city of Melbourne.

The difficult balancing act in the Murray Darling Basin

Low inflows of water into the Murray-Darling system and heavy agricultural extraction have contributed to the cataclysmic fish-kills of recent times, and better management of the system is required to avoid a repetition.