In the water wise cities project we propose a methodological framework that: (i) Helps the water industry think in a structured way about resilience using a set of currently applied and more sophisticated options. (ii). Proposes a specific set of quantifiable system-level metrics to assess the long term performance of water wise concepts and explains the rationale of their complementarity in long-term planning. (iii). Develops a way to think about and use long-term scenarios to evaluate system performance under a variety of potential future conditions. (iv). Demonstrates the use of a toolbox of assessment tools and models able to undertake the analysis proposed, for particular cases. (v). Provides a set of proof of concept examples, in the form of synthetic case studies, where alternative options are applied to address water challenges, under varying conditions, and whose merits are evaluated against the proposed metrics.