Municipal water services were built for predictability: separate drinking water, wastewater and stormwater systems, each managed in silos. Doctor Gemma Dunn argues that this Newtonian, ‘command and control’ mindset delivered major public-health gains, but it also encouraged single purpose use and waste.
Now, climate change is ‘experienced through water’, with Vancouver’s 2021 heat dome and later flooding showing how 1in1000 events can overwhelm assets designed for 1in20 or 1in50 conditions. The conversation looks at examples from Rotterdam, Australia and California and considers adaptive pathways planning and whole system collaboration.