Water Kit - Hunter Water

Some of the environmental impacts
associated with stormwater include:
• Sediment in the water reduces
light penetration and affects the
photosynthesis of plants.
• When green waste (grass
clippings, leaf litter) decays in
water it uses up oxygen, reducing
the oxygen available to aquatic
plants and animals.
• Sediment makes waterways
cloudy and can suffocate fish by
clogging their gills.
• Litter obstructs waterways and
can release toxins into the water
when it breaks down. It impacts
on the health of birds, fish and
other aquatic animals and plants.
Animals can mistake floating
plastic objects for food and
ingesting the object can cause
suffocation.
• The appearance of our waterways
is affected by stormwater
pollution, making them less
enjoyable and attractive for both
locals and visitors.
The social and economic impacts of
polluted stormwater are often flowon
effects from the environmental
impacts. They include:
Economic impacts
• Organisations that manage
stormwater, such as Hunter
Water and local Councils, must
contribute increased funds for
clean-up efforts and installation of
pollution traps.
• Water that has been polluted
cannot be readily used by the
community for local projects or in
the home.
High quality drinking water
continues to be used for tasks
such as watering the garden.
Stormwater would offer a more
sustainable and cost-effective
alternative to using potable
water, if it was relatively free from
contaminants.
Social impacts
• People are less likely to visit or
enjoy local waterways if they
are polluted.
• Social activities such as surfing,
rowing and water skiing can
Water kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010
become threatened by high water
pollution levels.
Prevention of stormwater
pollution
Many local Councils have put
stormwater pollution traps at the end of
stormwater drains. These help reduce
waste entering creeks, rivers and
wetlands. Pollution devices are regularly
emptied and their contents disposed of
at local landfill sites. However, pollution
traps cannot remove all stormwater
contaminants. The most effective way
to reduce stormwater pollution is to
prevent it occurring in the first place.
Examples of pollution devices:
artificially
constructed
wetlands
oil and litter
booms
gross
pollutant
traps
trash traps
sediment traps
Three ways to prevent
stormwater pollution
Litter disposal
Make sure that litter cannot blow or fall out
of garbage bins or recycling containers.
Washing cars
Wash cars on the grass to prevent soapy
water from entering gutters. The nutrients
in detergents contaminate waterways and
can lead to algal blooms.
Dog droppings
Place dog droppings in the bin to prevent
bacteria and nutrients from entering local
waterways.
Water Sensitive Urban
Design (WSUD)
Water Sensitive Urban Design refers to the
integration of water cycle management -
drinking water, stormwater, wastewater,
waterway health, recycling - into urban
planning and design. WSUD aims to
address the principles of Ecologically
Sustainable Development.
Figtree Place
A number of development projects
that incorporate WSUD have been
completed in the Lower Hunter over the
last decade. These projects demonstrate
the practicalities of WSUD, and provide
the opportunity to monitor and assess
their performance as a water management
scheme. One such project is Figtree Place
in Newcastle.
Figtree Place is a 27 unit community
housing project in Newcastle
Figtree Place is a community housing
development of 27 units. It incorporates
on-site stormwater harvesting and storage
in underground aquifers.
The WSUD objective is to retain
stormwater on-site and reduce potable
water consumption. The site is designed
to contain all runoff for rainfall events up to
and including a 1 in 50 year flood event.
The stormwater from roof surfaces is pretreated
in sediment traps prior to storage
in underground rainwater tanks. Runoff
from roads and other impervious surfaces
at the development is filtered through the
base of a dry detention basin and then
stored in underground aquifers.
The stored stormwater is pumped from
the aquifer and used to irrigate garden
beds and open spaces, and wash vehicles
at the adjacent bus depot. Harvested
stormwater is also used to supply hot
water to each unit for indoor use. Overall
the water management scheme reduces
the demand on high quality potable water
by about 60%.
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