Water models can be used for concept design, What-If scenarios, emergency damage assessments, real-time decision making, operational decision making, land-use planning, and also to quantify the post-emergency recovery of a threewaters (water supply, wastewater, stormwater) network. Three-waters hydraulic models had been extensively used in Christchurch, New Zealand as part of the post-earthquake damage assessments, emergency response and recovery work. This paper outlines where the hydraulic models have been used in Christchurch, what worked well and what did not. The paper emphasises the importance of a three-waters hydraulic modelling strategy to prepare a water authority for any unforeseen situations and also to take correct, timely, cost-effective decisions for capital works programming and water network planning. Once isolated, individual systems – such as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), hydraulic model simulation engines, asset management systems, and Geographic Information System (GIS) – are capable of interconnectivity and communication. This paper strongly recommends modern water authorities and relevant management professionals to develop and implement a three-waters modelling strategy for managing and planning three-waters network assets for present and future generations.