As one of the driest countries in the world, the importance of water conservation is paramount. This week a report by the NSW audit office found that Greater Sydney’s water supply may be less resilient to population growth and climate variability, including drought. The investigation found that neither agency had met their obligations of the Metropolitan Water Plan and was two years too late in responding to the recent drought. The auditor’s conclusion highlighted these issues were a direct result of weak governance, a lack of planning and funding, no recent analysis of water conservation options, as well as limited implementation of water conservation initiatives.

Furthermore, this issue of water conservation is amplified in regional NSW, as the drought continues to affect households and water restrictions remain in place.

2SER spoke with Professor Stuart White, Director of the Institute of Sustainable Futures at UTS, and the Chair of the International Water Association (IWA) urban water efficiency specialist group.