Stormwater
All of Mosman’s 28 catchments drain directly into the waters of Port Jackson or Middle Harbour, so improving stormwater quality to protect the health of these harbour waterways was a key priority for the CEC.
CEC Stormwater Projects involved the installation of Stormwater Quality Improvement Devices (SQIDs) to trap pollutants, education campaigns to alert the community to the causes, effects and solutions to stormwater pollution and water quality monitoring to ensure projects were achieveing results.
Key Achievements
- Installation of 27 Stormwater Quality Improvement Devices;
- Filtering 90 per cent of the catchment before it reaches the harbour;
- Collecting up to 300 tonnes of gross pollutants each year;
- Collecting a total of 2,975 tonnes of gross pollutants over the life of the CEC;
- Conducting stormwater education and awareness campaigns;
- Saving millions of litres of potable water each year through stormwater harvesting and re-use;
- Converting stormwater channels into systems that enhance ecological processes, have biodiversity value and are aesthetically pleasing;
- Water quality monitoring of receiving waters;
- Being the joint winner of the Local Government Excellence in the Environment Awards, in division B of the stormwater management category.
Case Study – Balmoral Oval Stormwater Reuse Project
The Balmoral Oval Stormwater Reuse Project has resulted in millions of litres of potable water being saved each year, plus the removal of tonnes of pollutants that would otherwise end up at the popular Balmoral Beach.
The project involved installing a SQID in Botanic Road to capture rubbish from the stormwater system and installing an underground stormwater storage tank in Lawry Plunkett Reserve. This water is used to irrigate Balmoral Oval and other foreshore reserves.
To assist with the construction of this project, Council secured a grant of $250 000 from the Commonwealth Government’s Community Water Grants Scheme, with a further $140 000 from the NSW Water Saving Fund.
