Blueprint 2011 - Stormwater Management in a Water Sensitive City
Warringah Council Striving to Build Greener Cities
Warringah Council is proud to be a partner in a world-first research program to harvest urban stormwater and build greener, more liveable cities.
Researchers from Monash University, the University of Melbourne and the University of Queensland are collaborating with more than 40 industry and government partners, including Warringah Council, to develop ‘water-sensitive cities’.
“Climate change and urban expansion are increasing pressure on Australia’s cities, creating water shortages, weather extremes and the degradation of waterways,” said Warringah Mayor Michael Regan.
The aim of the Cities as Water Supply Catchments research program is to use Water Sensitive Urban Design to prevent future water scarcity, reduce rising temperatures and improve the liveability of Australian cities.
“One solution is to harvest stormwater to make our cities more resilient to population growth, water shortages and climate change,” said the Mayor.
The first phase in the program, Blueprint 2011 - Stormwater Management in a Water Sensitive City, was launched Thursday 18 August at Customs House by the Sydney Metropolitan Consortium which includes Warringah Council.
Some of the benefits of the stormwater harvesting include:
- reducing urban temperatures
- using flood waters to protect downstream communities
- sourcing water close to where it is needed
- restoring water flows and water quality of rivers and creeks
- creating urban “wetland “environments to increase biodiversity
- supplying individual households, streets or neighbourhoods with harvested water
