The Urban Water Stakeholder Reference Panel, which advises the Australian Government on urban water policies and programs, has met in Adelaide to discuss urban water management and the future of stormwater harvesting and reuse.

 

The panel, which consists of urban water experts from across Australia, visited a number of stormwater harvesting and reuse projects at Parafield Airport, Unity Park, Stebonheath Park and Tea Tree Gully.

 

These projects use stormwater to irrigate parklands, maintain quality sports grounds and provide for wetlands and estuaries. The Parafield Airport project site will be the hub of a three-year research project into managed aquifer recharge and urban stormwater use options, which is receiving $1.7 million in Australian Government funding through the National Water Commission’s Raising National Water Standards program and is also being funded by the South Australian Government.

 

The project, which will be conducted by CSIRO and the Goyder Institute for Water research, will provide water managers and the community with information needed for decision-making about harvesting and storing stormwater for future reuse.

 

It will develop a national approach to assessing stormwater and managed aquifer recharge options, which can be applied around Australia to advance the use of stormwater as an additional water supply source.

 

The panel also heard about recent research investments made by the National Centre of Excellence in Desalination and the Australian Water Recycling Centre of Excellence.