SALISBURY STORMWATER HARVESTING

Australia’s federal government has developed a National Water Quality Management Strategy including 24 guidelines for drinking water, fresh and marine water quality, groundwater protection, sewer systems, effluent management and water recycling, as well as aquifer recharge guidelines. These federal, risk-based guidelines must be included in all state and local government regulation. In 2006, these guidelines were expanded into a national guide for water sensitive urban design. These water regulations are crucial given the arid environment of Australia, and prolonged periods of drought that have pushed the nation toward alternative water sources and desalination plants in cities across Australia. The City of Salisbury is located in the metropolitan region of Adelaide in South Australia, and receives relatively little rainfall, only 16 inches yearly, mostly during the winter months. Prior to European colonization, water rarely reached the sea from creeks throughout Adelaide, and the aquifers around the city were generally brackish except near streams. In 2009, the city created a masterplan of integrated water sensitive urban design principles that were adopted to minimize run-off generated by hardscaping and urbanization, and ameliorate the flood risk in the city. The plan harvests stormwater across the region and discharges it into the Gulf of St. Vincent, as well as a high capacity wetland where water and stored. The plan is based around Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) capacity building through stormwater harvesting, and was possible by the educational investment in the public attitude of city residents, which has facilitated the use of recycled stormwater. The project was implemented by 2012.  2009 - 2012
1152 acres
0 - 250 feet above sea level