Urban Water Program Overview

HCCREMS has a decade of experience working with councils and other stakeholders in the region to build their capacity to deliver more ecologically sustainable outcomes for urban water.  Find out more about sustainable urban water concepts, such as Integrated Water Cycle Management and Water Sensitive Urban Design.

Program Aims

The HCCREMS team works with extensive networks within and beyond the region, with the aim of ‘positively influencing’ urban water outcomes through the application of WSUD and SUWM principles and practice across local government roles such as:

• Strategic and integrated planning for water, stormwater, natural resources and catchments;
• Land use planning;
• Setting development controls and assessing development proposals;
• Planning and managing open space (such as riparian zones);
• Managing built and 'natural' assets that provide a stormwater service;
• Integrated water planning (across potable water, stormwater and sewerage service provision);
• Community and stakeholder planning and involvement in on ground projects.

Our Regional capacity building activities typically include:

• Promoting leading practice; 
• Sharing lessons learnt from current and innovative practice;
• Providing information and guidance on strategic and technical matters;
• Delivering training and events to build skills and provide opportunities for networking and practitioner knowledge exchange;
• Assisting stakeholders to prepare funding bids that are consistent with our capacity building objectives;
• Spearheading and creating partnerships to develop key research and guidance;
• Providing tailored advice and support to HCCREMS councils and stakeholders.

“Urban Water” is a term that describes the water that is used and flows through our cities and towns. How we manage urban water can have negative (or positive) social, economic and environmental impacts beyond the actual‘footprint’ of our cities and towns.

A range of terms are now used to describe new ways of managing urban water that are more 'sensitive' to the issues of water security, climate change resilience, environmental protection and our quality of life:

• Sustainable Urban Water Management (SUWM)
• Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD)
• Integrated Water Cycle Management (IWCM)
• Urban Water Cycle Management (UWCM)

Most of these terms cover all aspects of the urban water "cycle" - the supply of potable drinking water as well as roofwater, stormwater, urban waterways, grey water, sewage and waste water.

Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) is a practice that is particularly relevant to local government – as it is an approach to urban planning and design that seeks to integrate land and water management considerations (Engineers Australia, 2006).

WSUD encompasses planning and management techniques and stormwater asset types that seek to 'sensitively' manage the flow and quality of stormwater from our urban areas - roofs, paving, roads and other hard (impermeable) surfaces.

By taking an integrated approach to considering how we can supply drinking water, keep our towns green, manage stormwater and wastewater we are open to a greater 'solutions set' that can achieve multiple aims.

The four principles at the heart of good Water Sensitive Urban Design

Principle 1: Improve the amenity and liveability of urban areas. ‘Reconnect' people with the value of water and waterways in our cities, towns and suburbs, through good open space planning, innovative urban design, and the recognition that natural waterways provide a valuable 'stormwater service'. Right: At Wahgunyah Drive in Port Stephens Council an urban drain is now a feature of the suburb's public open space and recreational areas.
Principle 2: Use all urban water resources more efficiently. Integrate the management of urban water resources across the whole water cycle for ‘triple bottom line’ outcomes through multidisciplinary and holistic approaches. Right: Dungog Shire Council is harvesting stormwater from an erosion prone laneway for reuse on a local sportsfield and regional Showground so they continue to provide a community benefit during dry times.
Principle 3: Protect the ecological health of waterways and catchments by reducing the negative ecological impacts of urban development. Objectives are set for urban development for both stormwater quality (by reducing pollution) and quantity (by hydrologies that mimic the natural 'water cycle'). Such objectives reflect the ecological needs of downstream waterways - creeks, lakes, lagoons, aquifers and wetlands. Right: At Murrays Beach stormwater treatment starts at each residential lot, continues along the kerb and through the streetscape until the suburb's stormwater flows into the receiving environment of Lake Macquarie.
Principle 4: Reduce the life cycle costs of managing urban water infrastructure and natural waterway assets. Right: Gosford Council has installed relatively low cost 'infiltration pits' on the Woy Woy peninsula. These devices are being trialled to reduce localised flooding during more frequent events and avoid the expensive exercise of kerbing and guttering a low lying older suburb adjacent to the highly valued Brisbane Water.

  This project has been assisted by the New South Wales Government through its Environment Trust

 

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