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Urban Water Research Portal

Work is well underway to develop a new web-based portal that will improve access and searching of urban water research and development information and knowledge generated by Australian research, government and industry organisations.

There has been substantial investment made in urban water research and development (R&D) in Australia. Many organisations with responsibility for urban water R&D information have different information systems, access and pricing models and approaches to information management which can cause contraints to the efficient discovery of this information. Another concern is the management and legacy of information generated by water R&D centres and programs which have a limited life.

The development of the Water Access Research Portal will enable users to access information and knowledge from diverse sources in a uniform way. Part of the project will include developing and applying national information standards, and developing agreed protocols for the ongoing collection, management and open dissemination of information, projects, models, case studies, tools and publications.

The portal will:

  • Provide relevant content chosen in consultation with industry
  • Improve search results to reputable Australian water R&D organisations and programs
  • Make accessing relevant information easier and more efficient
  • Access member-only site content with ease
  • Provide a single gateway to multiple research organisations and programs
  • Have advanced search functions by theme, subject and keyword.

Work undertaken and outcomes to date

A project steering committee has overseen the business case, technical development, application of metadata standards, and joint funding for the project. It has received ongoing support by the National Urban Water R&D Partnership Working Group as a national flagship activity. Additional funding was allocated by the Partnership Working Group to support a part-time coordinator position for 12 months, cover ongoing hosting costs, and engage with R&D organisations to link their URLs, apply metadata standards, and to market test the portal. A prototype has been developed and is currently being tested by partner organisations and is expected to go live mid-year 2015.

This project is assisted by the Australian Water Research and Development Coalition, Australian e-Research members, and the National Urban Water R&D Partnership Working Group. The Water Research Access Portal is supported by multiple R&D partners and will be managed by WSAA to ensure its longevity and sustainability with industry.

Project Partners

Lead organisation: Water Services Association of Australia
Partner organisations:
Australian Water Recycling Centre of Excellence
National Centre of Excellence in Desalination Australia
Water Research Australia
Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities
Melbourne Water (Smart Water Fund)
Australian Water Association
Australian National Data Service
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
Bureau of Meteorology

More information

For more information about this project contact gayathri.ramachandran@wsaa.asn.au