Challenges in learning urban stormwater modelling in Australia

![CDATA[Australian cities are facing a range of critical pressures related to urban expansion and water shortages along with the degradation of urban streams and waterways. Managing Australia’s limited water resources requires an integrated and complete water cycle approach (including both quantity and quality aspects) considering “cities as water supply catchments”. It is only in the past decade that significant change in urban water management in Australia has occurred. Efficient management of stormwater is essential to prevent adverse impacts on the environment by managing stormwater runoff quality using Water Sensitive Urban Design principles, while at the same time assuring reliable alternative water resources to minimise potable water demands through the concept of Integrated Water Cycle Management. Several Australian states, local and regional governments have developed technical guidelines on specific stormwater management techniques and practices. But there are no nationally consistent guidelines for ecologically sustainable management of stormwater quantity and quality. Consistent approaches to planning across local governments is important. To support efficient and effective implementation of these new guidelines an easy-to-use software-based tool needs to be developed that would provide the ability to simulate all three urban water cycle service networks (water supply, stormwater, wastewater), ranging in scale from a single allotment up to large clusters or subdivisions. This tool must model both water quantity and quality, with options for economically and technically efficient system optimisation. This paper presents a brief review of stormwater modelling practice in Australia and how stormwater modelling is taught in Australian universities.]]