Harvesting Urban Stormwater to Supply Potable Drinking Water (Case Study)

Published on by in Case Studies

Harvesting Urban Stormwater to Supply Potable Drinking Water (Case Study)

Orange stormwater to potable: Building urban water supply diversity

Insight : Harvesting urban stormwater to supply up to 25% of the City's potable drinking water
Location : Orange, NSW, Australia
Dates : 2007 – Present
Participants : Orange City Council, Geolyse
Topics : Alternative water supplies, Community engagement, Green infrastructure, Stormwater, Monitoring and evaluation, Regulation and legislation

stormwater (1).jpg
Image by watersensitivecities.org.au

Goal: Securing urban water supplies 

Faced with continuing dry conditions and uncertainty of future rainfall, alternative water supplies were required in Orange. Continued high-level water restrictions resulted in the community wanting the Council to do something quickly to provide more water for the city. Council wanted a water security solution that would provide long term benefits and considered all elements of the urban water cycle.

Solution: The first large scale, indirect-to-potable stormwater harvesting project in NSW

The Lesson: Drought crisis can lead to testing of new approaches

The Outcomes

1. Cities providing ecosystem services

2. Cities as water supply catchments

3. Cities comprising water sensitive communities

The case study was originally published by CRC for Water Sensitive Cities.
Find the full study attached below in PDF.

Media

Taxonomy