Closing the loop on water planning: an integrated smart metering and web-based knowledge management system approach

Abstract

Australia's climate instigated the need for strategic water and wastewater planning and management. The implementation of water demand management (WDM) and source substitution to save potable water is common throughout the Nation, as is estimating their relative water saving potentials. Smart metering and water end use research is underway to provide accurate data which will assist in the verification and validation of estimations made when developing water saving strategies. Introduced is the framework for a web-based knowledge management system (WBKMS) that integrates smart metering, end use water consumption data, wireless communication networks and advanced information systems in order to provide real-time data to both water corporations and consumers, thus enhancing their current level of understanding of how, when and where water is being consumed. The paper finishes with an overview of the impediments to developing the WBKMS and an associated research agenda to address present gaps in knowledge.