Waterproofing the West

Region-wide system that harvests, treats and stores stormwater and distributes harvested water through western Adelaide, sustaining a growing economy and enhancing the natural environment. The project will result in sound water management and will treat and inject up to 2,400ML of stormwater each year. The recycled water is now used for irrigation and for flushing toilets, watering gardens, washing cars and paving, and filling ornamental ponds and water features.

• Diversity in supply: Desire to supply an alternative non-potable water source for the community.
• Reduced mains water demand: Decrease the dependence on reservoirs and the River Murray for mains water.

• River pumping and wetland stormwater harvesting: Stormwater is harvested from the surrounding local catchment as well as the stormwater flowing into the urban section of the River Torrens. Local stormwater is captured and treated in constructed wetlands.  Diverted flows from the River Torrens supplement the local catchment flows, approximately doubling the volume of stormwater recycled.
• Series of treatment wetlands: Total of 11ha of treatment wetlands have been constructed, at Old Port Road, Riverside Golf Course, Cooke Reserve and St Clair. These are able to treat the stormwater to a water quality suitable for recycled use.
• Storage in local underground aquifers: Harvested stormwater is injected into local aquifers during winter, to be extracted for use in summer.
• Link and distribution main: 36km of pipework link the three wetland and aquifer storage and recharge sites, to allow recycled water recovered from aquifers to be distributed throughout the western suburbs.

• Recycled water is attractive to potential buyers: Reduced cost of water for the residential lots as a result of the recycled water connections made properties within the sub-division more attractive to prospective buyers. Another attraction to prospective buyers is that properties connected to recycled water are also exempt from state water restrictions, which were in place at the start of this project.
• Alternative water without sacrificing space on lots: One of the selling points with houses was that they didn’t require rainwater tanks, which saved on space and money for home owners.

The stormwater harvesting and wetland treatment elements of this project have widespread applicability across Australia, as do recycled pipeline measures. It is especially transferable for greenfield developments, where construction and infrastructure costs can be optimised during the sub-division design and masterplanning stages. The aquifer storage and extraction element of Waterproofing the West would be applicable in other areas where local aquifers exist, such as in regions of South Australia and Western Australia.