Case Study: Rural Water Futures Program

The motivation

Rural Water Futures is changing the way Queensland water resources are managed, measured and reported. The program is delivering a comprehensive and integrated body of work to position Queensland as a digitally enabled, modern and responsive regulator of the state’s valuable water resources. Using new technologies, forward-thinking policy and strengthened regulation, the projects and initiatives that make up Rural Water Futures take a holistic approach to measuring and managing the 6.9 million megalitres of water that are allocated for use in our regions. 

The strategy

WaterIQ customer service channels

Rural Water Futures is delivering new online digital customer service channels (known as WaterIQ), including a water user app and customer portal. These channels aim to improve customer experience by making water usage information more accessible and streamlining communication with the department. A customer centric focus and simplified user experience is driving the development of these products. Input from water users engaged in design sessions at the outset informed the simple and intuitive interface of the app and customer portal. Water user trials in the Queensland Murray Darling Basin (QMDB) have enabled functionality to be improved with each new release. Successful evaluation of the trials paves the way for the further rollout of the WaterIQ channels across Queensland.

Increased telemetry capability

To strengthen water measurement in the QMDB and provide near-real time water usage information for on-farm management, telemetry devices are now required on surface water meters. This work is underway and required an approach tailored to the challenges of delivering new services in regional Queensland which included: 

• market research to better understand telemetry devices, software capabilities and how commercially available products could integrate into departmental data systems 
• an on-ground water user trial to test telemetry devices and guide implementation in regional Queensland
• contracting a delivery partner to provide an end-to-end service for the installation of compliant telemetry devices in the QMDB; and providing efficiencies for systems development work 
• securing Australian Government funding to subsidise the installation of telemetry devices in the QMDB acknowledging the limited scope of off-the-shelf solutions.

Innovative operational technologies

Rural Water Futures has also trialled and evaluated other technologies to measure water and provide timely and reliable water information including: 

• low-cost surface, groundwater and rainfall measurement devices to provide water resource managers and water users with near real-time data in regional Queensland
• application of remote sensing data (LiDar, satellite imagery) to monitor the changes in farm storages, on-farm infrastructure and irrigated crop area across the QMDB
• ongoing development of indirect measurement techniques for surface water flows to inform both water management and flood warning needs across regional Queensland.

The implementation

Rural Water Futures is being delivered byRegister for Innovate QLD the Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing (DRDMW) with the support of the Australian Government and Queensland’s Information Technology Partnership arrangements. Given the scope and transformational nature of the program, collaboration across the department is essential to its success. Business areas from across the state lead and contribute their expertise to project delivery.  

The results

Customer engagement has been central to the development of the WaterIQ app and customer portal. Water user feedback throughout the product development and trials demonstrates the success of these new digital channels. Comments include: 

"I find the WaterIQ app great. I love how easy it is to use, even with entering the readings in manually. I hate having to use a computer, so this is perfect." 

“This is great! All the information I need is online and helps me to quickly determine what I need to do. I don’t even need to go into the RDMW office!” 

“I like the QR code thing….it saves you a lot of time and effort.”

The future

Our achievements to date have set the foundation for our next program stage to: 

• roll out and improve the functionality of our WaterIQ app and customer portal
• deliver state-wide application of tools such as water balance calculators, remote sensing technologies for water management and compliance, and increase our telemetric capability in the QMDB
• establish a new data platform (a suite of modern, cloud applications) to enable the collection, transformation and analysis of trusted and endorsed organisational data to improve decision-making and support our regulatory role. 

The Rural Water Futures program is supported by the Australian Government though the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and the Murray-Darling Basin Communities Investment Package, and delivered by the Queensland Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water.