WATER INFORMATION NETWORKS: INFRASTRUCTURE FOR EFFICIENT MANAGEMENT OF WATER

摘要

In collaboration with many stakeholders, NICTA, Australia's national information andrncommunications research centre, conducts research in the area of Water Information Networksrn(WIN). In this project NICTA develops information infrastructure solutions in support ofrnefficient water (distribution) management.rnResearchers in WIN, in collaboration with Rubicon Systems Australia Pty Ltd (Rubicon)rndeveloped the idea of Total Channel Control~? (TCC~?) which is patented and commercializedrnthrough Rubicon. TCC~? automates the water distribution management of large scale open canalrnirrigation networks with the express purpose of achieving greater efficiency. It realizes near ondemandrnresponse of gravity fed water distribution networks. As testified by a recent audit of arncommercial implementation of TCC~? in the Coleambally irrigation district in New SouthrnWales, Australia, a water distribution efficiency of 90% can be realized. Moreover gains in onfarmrnefficiency are simultaneously achieved due to the near "on-demand" delivery of waterrnwhich allows irrigators to significantly modify their irrigation schedules, so as to better suit theirrnlocal requirements.rnAt present, WIN researchers in collaboration with the Melbourne based UniWater researchrncentre are considering the joint automation of on-farm irrigation and distribution canals. The goalrnis to realize that for every drop of water "requested" by the plants in the field, a drop of water isrndelivered through the distribution network from "reservoir-to-the-plant". The informationrninfrastructure required for such a scheme is discussed.