The Water Provision System: Developing and Applying a Conceptual Systems Framework for Provincial and State Water Provision Dynamic

Societal systems are complex networks of actors, institutions, policies, and technologies that evolve over time to service the needs of the public. Such a system exists for the public provision of water and can be referred to as the water provision system. The ultimate goal of a given water provision system is to provide safe water to the public at an acceptable level of service in a financially sustainable manner. The failure to fulfill this mandate is a failure of the water provision system as a whole, which can threaten public health and safety, and economic and political stability. Without a shared understanding of the complex dynamic behaviour of the water provision system, uncertainty can overwhelm stakeholders and undermine the decision-making process. This can result in short-term solutions that do not take into account the long-term needs of the water provision system and can result in the failure to provide this important service in the future.;This thesis demonstrates the value of creating a shared conceptual understanding of the water provision system. A conceptual model is developed to describe the water provision system in the context of Canadian and American water provision. The value of such a model is exhibited by (i) applying the model to explain systemic challenges associated with the current water provision system; (ii) proposing an alternative water provision system that can potentially address these issues; and (iii) proposing a pathway for the transition from the current to the proposed alternative water provision system.;Overall, this thesis explores the systemic origin of issues that have, over decades, manifested within the water provision system and stand to ultimately threaten its existence. Therefore, the work presents a pathology of water provision system challenges in an effort to meaningfully understand and address the systemic cause of these issues.