Townsville's water supply and sewerage demand rates

Abstract

Infrastructure unit rates of demand are key elements of a Local Government Infrastructure Plan. When applied to projections of housing, employment and education, they enable the forecast of network demand required for strategic infrastructure planning.

Water supply demand is estimated from 2021 water meter records, calibrated to water production. Cross references to the 2021 property database allow the derivation of water unit demand rates for different projection types: urban, rural residential and rural single dwellings; multiple and other dwellings; retail, services, professional, industrial and other employment; and primary, secondary and tertiary education.

Estimates of sewer-to-water ratios allow the water meter records to inform sewerage unit demand rates for each property and projection type, calibrated to wastewater treatment.

Average demand is estimated to be in the order of 450 L/d per Equivalent Person (water, average day flow) and 180 L/d per Equivalent Person (sewerage, average dry weather flow). Unit demand rates are applied to the assumed densities in the Local Government Infrastructure Plan in order to establish broad hectare demand rates.

The derived demand rates are generally below the Desired Standards of Service and exhibit more spatial variability than those in the current Townsville Local Government Infrastructure Plan, offering more refined network planning.