Moonee Valley City Council has adopted a new Water Strategy which sets the future direction for sustainable management of all water in the City.

 

The strategy takes an integrated approach to water management; harvesting water, using it efficiently, keeping our communities healthy, and reducing the amount of pollution entering  waterways, bays and groundwater.

 

Mayor of Moonee Valley, Cr John Sipek, said the new strategy builds on existing water achievements, combining Council’s previously separate Sustainable Water Use Plan and Stormwater Management Plan.

 

“Moonee Valley has achieved great water saving results over the last 10 years, with Council reducing its water use by 43 per cent, residents reducing theirs by 32 per cent and businesses achieving a 39 per cent reduction,” said Cr Sipek.

 

“This strategy sets more ambitious targets not only to continue saving water but also to improve the health of local waterways, manage floods and better capture alternative water sources - such as roofwater and stormwater - to use in place of mains water.

 

To complement the strategy, Council also endorsed new Water Sensitive Urban Design Guidelines to help residents and developers to deliver projects like rainwater tanks, greywater systems, raingardens, wetlands, swales and porous paving, all designed to prevent pollution from entering local waterways.

 

“With an increased focus on clever building design – together with creative treatment options like raingardens and wetlands – Council, residents and developers can collect, treat and store stormwater, help reduce water use, and help to prevent disruption and damage to community and assets from floods,” Cr Sipek said.

 

“Our new strategy shows just how much roads can damage our waterways, and how beneficial it is to build raingardens and wetlands into our urban environment, as they catch and clean up the flow of polluted stormwater coming from roads,” he added.

 

The main targets set out in the strategy are:

 

Reduce water use:

  • 50 per cent reduction in Council mains water use
  • 50 per cent reduction in non residential mains water use
  • 40 per cent reduction in community mains water use by 2020 (based on 2001 levels), equivalent to 160 litres per day

 

Increase alternative water use:

  • 30 per cent of Council’s total water use to be from alternative water sources


Improve the quality of stormwater entering waterways:

  • 16 per cent reduction in total suspended solids (dirt, grit, tyre residue)
  • 9 per cent reduction in total nitrogen (fertilisers, air borne pollutants)
  • 12 per cent reduction in total phosphorus (detergents, fertilisers)
  • 8 per cent reduction in litter (and more saved by street sweeping and pickups)

 

Other specific actions include:

  • Developing a water security plan to identify and prioritise water sources for open space areas in Moonee Valley.
  • Preparing a planning scheme amendment requiring water sensitive urban design in more new developments.
  • Continuing to conserve water and reduce pollution annually through water sensitive urban design projects.