WaterWorks is a computer program designed to help irrigated cropping and mixed enterprise farmers compare different crops and irrigation technologies on different soil types. It is a decision support tool for making long term investment decisions about irrigation infrastructure at the farm level or short term decisions about using a season’s quantity of water to grow a crop or to trade water.

The WaterWorks program is user-friendly and requires little previous computer experience. It is flexible and relevant to the many irrigation environments and systems across the southern Murray-Darling Basin.

WaterWorks can answer questions that will help you manage your farm more profitably and more efficiently.

• Is it economically viable to invest in modern irrigation technology?
• Is it worth developing irrigation on some farms but not others?
• How much water can be saved with new or changed technology?
• What is the payback period on capital investment for new technology?
• What would be the best crop rotation to maximise returns on the investment?
• When would it be better to trade water rather than grow crops?

WaterWorks is an initiative of the Irrigated Cropping Forum. This program has been developed by the International Centre of Water for Food Security at Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, with support from the Grains Research and Development Corporation.

Download the WaterWorks software

A copy of the WaterWorks program can download from this link (44 MB .zip file).

Minimum system requirements: Windows XP (Service Pack 2) or higher; 400 MB of hard disk space; Windows Installer 3.1 or later installed on your computer. Instructions for installing and operating the WaterWorks software are included. There is no Mac version available.

All recipients of the IREC Farmers' Newsletter No 183 will have received a version of the program on CD.

System requirements

Minimum system requirements: Windows XP (Service Pack 2) or higher; 400 MB of hard disk space; Windows Installer 3.1 or later installed on your computer. MAC or LINUX versions are not available.

Instructions for installing and operating the WaterWorks software are included with the download and also on the CD.

Further information

Associate Professor Mohsin Hafeez,
International Centre of Water for Food Security (IC Water),
Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga.
Telephone – 02 6933 2542 Fax – 02 6933 2647 Email – mhafeez@csu.edu.au

© 2010. The downloadable program, WaterWorks, is copyright of the Irrigated Cropping Forum and the Grains Research and Development Corporation, and provided here for individual use only. While reasonable care is taken in its preparation, the ICF and GRDC do not guarantee or warrant the accuracy, reliability, completeness or currency of the information provided by this program, or its usefulness in achieving any purpose. Users of the program are responsible for assessing the relevance and accuracy of its output. The ICF and GRDC will not be liable for any loss, damage, cost or expense incurred or arising by reason of any person using or relying on this program.