Identify and assess the water quality risks from extreme events

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Background and Relevance

Extreme weather-related events pose a significant challenge for managing drinking water quality in the future. Events such as bushfires, floods and cyclones can lead to chemical and microbial contamination of source waters. Furthermore, they may damage infrastructure and impede the ability of water utilities to reliably treat and distribute the water to customers. The aim of this project was to undertake research to support the development of specfic  guidance for the Australian water industry to manage threats to drinking water quality from extreme weather events, building upon the work completed within WaterRF project 4324, "Water Quality Impacts of Extreme Weather Events'.