Sydney Water Reaps Benefits Of Modeling Integration

Sydney Water is Australia's largest water utility. It provides drinking and recycled water, wastewater services and some stormwater services to more than four million people in Sydney. The water supply operations cover an area of 3,168 sq km (1,223 square miles). Drinking water is sourced from a network of dams managed by the Sydney Catchment Authority. It is then treated and delivered to customers' homes and businesses by Sydney Water, which employs about 3,000 staff and owns extensive assets, including 264 reservoirs, 385 pumping units, 16,800km (10,440 miles) of water mains and 4,100km of trunk main. In total, its assets have a replacement value of more than AUD20 billion (USD13.8 billion) and there is a capital expenditure program of over AUD1 billion (USD691 million) planned in 2007-08.

Considerable benefits and savings have already been realized in the 14 months that WMS has been in use. Even users familiar with the system continue to be surprised by scope of the integration that has been achieved and the ease with which complex information can now be produced.