About us
AI transparency statement
Barwon Water recognise the potential opportunities of using AI to support us with Strategy 2030. It was last updated on 12 February 2026. It will be updated as our approach to AI evolves, and at least every 12 months.
In this statement we cover:
- Why AI, and why now
- How we will engage with AI responsibly
- Where we envision the use of AI
Why AI, and why now?
Barwon Water’s Strategy 2030 commits us to deliver safe, secure and sustainable water, innovative and reliable services, a healthier environment, and trust, affordability and value for our region. AI has the potential to amplify the experience and expertise of our people to achieve these outcomes, helping us move from reactive to proactive service, use resources more efficiently, and provide clearer, more timely information to customers and the community.
Definition of AI
We’ve aligned with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) definition of AI.
“A machine-based system that, for explicit or implicit objectives, infers, from the input it receives, how to generate outputs such as predictions, content, recommendations, or decisions that can influence physical or virtual environments.”
Barwon Water systems that follow pre-defined instructions entered by a person aren’t included in this definition. e.g Our systems that automatically send a bill reminder on the 15th of each month based on a fixed schedule is not considered AI under this definition, because it follows pre-defined instructions.
How we will engage with AI responsibly, to amplify our people’s ability to deliver on our commitments set out in Barwon Water’s Strategy 2030
We have introduced ProsperAI, which is our framework to govern and support a people-led, responsible adoption of AI.
- People Lead.
- We keep a Human in the loop at every key decision point; AI amplifies, not replaces, expertise.
- Responsible AI.
- We founded Barwon Water’s AI Policy on ethics, privacy, cyber-security and data classifications, our policy is underpinned by the Policy for responsible use of AI in government and Australia’s AI Ethics Principles.
- Open & Transparent.
- We will aim to explain how AI results are produced, cite sources, and communicate limitations. We will continuously improve our systems to enhance transparency and traceability.
- Sustainable & Resilient.
- Our AI initiatives must strengthen our long-term financial viability, climate resilience & operational safety. Our projects and partnerships will be evaluated against cost, carbon risk, benefits and organisational alignment.
- Prosperity for our Region.
- We will aim to prioritise initiatives that strengthen economic, social or cultural prosperity for customers and community.
- Experiment. Learn & Evaluate.
- We will test innovative solutions, openly share our findings, and expand successful initiatives to deliver greater value and positive outcomes for our customers and community.
- Respect & Inclusion
- We honor Traditional Owners, protect vulnerable customers, and design AI that is accessible to all.
- We will invest in implementing frameworks that ensure that any insights, stories, data, or Cultural references shared by Traditional Owners and First Nations communities remain their unceded Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP). This includes knowledge expressed in language, art, ceremony, design, ecological practices, and oral traditions.
Where we envision the use of AI:
We are exploring ways to use AI that are aligned to our ProsperAI framework. We’re committed to ensuring we validate outputs generated by AI and we don’t use AI for making decisions without human oversight.
Aligned to the Australian Government Classification system for AI use | digital.gov.au the following table represents our intended usage patterns and domains.
Potential AI use cases
| Use case | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Decision making and administrative action | Used to either: support decision making or the taking of administrative action by guiding, assessing, or making a recommendation to a human decision maker; or make decisions or take administrative action as programmed. Note: not all automated decision making may be considered AI (noting the definition under the policy). | Asset health monitoring: Predicting failures in pumps, pipes, and treatment assets. Digital twins: is a computer version of a real water system, like a pump or pipe, that could help test ideas and make better decisions. Adaptive network optimisation: Balancing supply, demand, and maintenance dynamically. |
| Analytics for insights | Identifies, produces or understands insights within structured or unstructured materials via comprehensive data analysis, predictive modelling and/or reporting tools. | Smarter ways to assess flows within the sewer system to reduce spills. Demand forecasting: Supporting network operations. Real-time analytics: Anticipating water quality risks. Energy and emissions optimisation: Supporting sustainability goals. |
| Workplace productivity | Automates routine tasks, manages workflows, and facilitates communication. | Faster, safer insights: Summarising reports, drafting documents, analysing trends and performance of our systems and processes Enhanced productivity: AI-powered search capabilities. AI-powered self-service: Plain-language answers and personalised content. |
AI Usage Domains
| Domain | Description |
|---|---|
| Service delivery | Enhances efficiency or accuracy of services, including payment services, by providing tailored and responsive services to our customers. This may include direct interaction with the public (e.g., chatbots, enhanced customer self-service, multilingual capabilities) or support for staff or systems delivering services. |
| Analytical | Leveraged in data analysis to process complex datasets, simulate experiments, predict outcomes, and enhance monitoring functions. |
| Corporate and enabling | Supports corporate functions, including HR, finance, media and communications, and IT, by automating processes, optimising resource allocation, and improving operational efficiency. |
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