Modelling the impacts of climate change on a water treatment plant in South Australia

The simplified climate change impact assessment tool (SCIAT) has been developed to address the specific needs of the water industry and provides a tool to translate climate change projections into ‘real world’ impacts. Its application is demonstrated in this study to assess the impacts of climate change on the reservoir water quality and water treatment plant (WTP) operations at Myponga, South Australia. The primary aim is to provide water treatment plant operators with knowledge of the potential impacts and associated probabilities of occurrence of climate change, enabling them to make informed, risk-based adaptation and planning decisions. It was found that climate change alone poses little risk to WTP operations, with the WTP able to operate as normal under all future climate scenarios. This finding not only reflects the specific catchment characteristics of Myponga, but also the assumptions made in this study. When interpreting these findings to develop comprehensive adaptation plans, operators must also take into account potential non-climate changes such as land use and demand.