Review of Security of Supply for Irrigation Systems

In response to fundamental changes in the way irrigation water supply services are perceived and managed water resource management agencies need to be in a position to provide sound and impartial information to all parties involved in the change process. For the purpose of management of water supply systems in general and assessing the impact of change, it is essential to define security of supply for major user groups. Simulation models should be used as the analytical tool for this purpose as they are capable of including stochastic inputs and a wide range of complex interacting system components and operating rules. The general water resource simulation package REALM is being applied to a number of complex multi-purpose water supply systems resulting in models that can be readily modified in order to answer a wide range of questions about the system.