Revealing the variables in the management of decentralised water systems in Australia

The emergence of a diverse array of water sources and scales of infrastructure has brought new challenges to existing governance structures. Accordingly, the adoption and performance of decentralised water systems can be improved either through centralised management or through developing new mechanisms for decentralised management. Empirical evidence reveals that some systems have indeed been managed centrally while others are maintained in a relatively decentralised way involving a range of actors at different levels, and in various capacities. However, it remains unclear how these management arrangements are organised. This paper draws on literature and preliminary case study research to explore the relations between the variables of resources, technology and end-users, and management arrangements for decentralised water systems. Findings suggest that such dimensions as environment and health risks related to the resource, scale, complexity and connectedness of technology, and the type and capacity of end-user help determine the type of management arrangement. While the physical scale of the decentralised system was found to be highly correlated with the scale of management, other variables were also found to be influential suggesting the need to develop a good 'fit' among variables and the management arrangement for a specific decentralised system at a particular place and time.