Water for Public Open Space
Many of our parks and ovals are watered using groundwater (from bores), which has been recharged through rainfall. This is also a good example of water being collected and used at is origin, meaning fewer resources are consumed to treat and supply the water.
Some new land developments feature artificial lakes or wetlands in public open space areas, which collect stormwater and filter it before it recharges groundwater.
This is a principle of water sensitive urban design, to integrate urban planning with the management, protection and conservation of the urban water cycle.
There are a number of requirements under the National Water Initiative with respect to water sensitive urban design, water sensitive urban developments and integrated urban water management. State and Local Government initiatives are progressing work in this area, with the assistance of the Water Corporation.
The State Government encourages alternative water supplies for public open space in new developments. There are opportunities to use shallow groundwater for non-drinking water uses, inject recycled water into groundwater to increase water levels, and increase the use of rainwater tanks, garden bores, sewer mining and greywater recycling.
The first trial of an alternative water supply scheme commenced at Brighton in Perth’s Northern suburbs. A community bore scheme supplies groundwater to households for gardens and public open space. This scheme is estimated to save 71 kilolitres of water a year per household from the IWSS water grid.
Another similar non-drinking water scheme under development is the Wungong Urban Water Project, which has Commonwealth funding and is projected to save about 2 gigalitres of scheme water a year.