Innovative Water Management: Embracing a Circular Economy Water System.

This paper considers a necessary transition in the water industry from a linear usage model to a circular economy one where waste is turned into valuable product through a variety of innovations. An agile structuration model is used as a framework to analyse the evolutionary pathway adopted by one exemplar Australian water utility. The wastewater treatment technologies adopted yield re-usable water, fertiliser and energy products, and are also adapted to process large quantities of food waste that might normally go into land fill. One district where initiatives are trialled is viewed as an ‘innovation precinct’ and a focus on the retention of an innovation culture is maintained. A water industry innovation management process is outlined. The observation that ‘every journey starts with a small step’ and the importance placed on innovative, multifaceted review and reflection processes underpin the evolutionary dynamic approach to complex problem resolution adopted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]