LivingHobsonsBay:

AnIntegratedWaterManagementPlan

2014-19

Waterisoneofourmostvaluableresources.Itisvitalfor

drinkingandhealth,maintainingvibrantandliveablecommunitiesandisessentialtoprotectingourvaluableurbanecology.

Whyissustainablewatermanagement important?

Waterisoneofourmostvaluableresources.Itisvitalfordrinkingandhealth,maintaining vibrantandliveablecommunitiesandisessentialtoprotectingourvaluable

urbanecology.

Whatwedoinonepartofthewatercycleimpactsonanotherso,toobtainthemostoutofourwater,weneedtoincludewaterinallaspectsofourplanningprocesses.Whenweplantomanagewatersupplies,wastewatertreatmentandstormwater

runoffwhileprotectingthehealthofournaturalenvironment,weachieveintegratedwatermanagement.

ByusinganintegratedwatermanagementapproachHobsonsBayCityCouncilplanstoachieveagreener,healthier,moresustainablecommunity.

Whatistheconditionofourwater resources?

Inanaverageyear41,800MLofrainfallsonourmunicipalityasseeninfigure1.

Mostofthisfallsonourpublicopenspacesandprivategardens.However,about11,100MLofthiswaterrunsoffourstreetsanddrivewaysasstormwater,withathirdofthisrunningoffprivateroofs.Thisamountofstormwaterisalmostaslargeasthe12,100MLofdrinkingwaterthatresidents,businessesandCounciluseeachyear.

Thismakesstormwateroursinglebiggestwastedresource.

HowisCouncilcurrentlymanagingwater?

Councilusesabout428MLofdrinkingwatereachyearinCouncilownedbuildingsandtowaterparksandrecreationareassuchasplayingfields.Councilhasrecentlyinvested

inthreelargestormwaterharvestingprojects.TheyarelocatedatLavertonPark,PaisleyParkandCyrilCurtinReserve.These systemswillbeoperationalin2014andwillsave116MLofdrinkingwaterperannum.

Whatwillthisplanachieve?

ThisstrategyispartofCouncil’sSustainabilityFramework.Councilhasdevelopedasuiteofstrategiesandplanstoaddressthedifferentaspectsofsustainability.TheseincludetheEnvironmentalEngagementStrategy,theClimateChangeAdaptationPlan,CorporateandCommunityGreenhouseActionStrategiesandtheWasteandLitterManagementPlan.

Inordertohaveaneffectiveresponsetowatermanagementthisplanworkstowardfiveobjectives,to:

1.Increasewatersecurity -aportfolioofwatersourcesthataremanagedefficientlyforfit-for-purposeurbanuses.

Watersecuritycanbeincreasedbyusingwaterefficientlyanddevelopingalternativewatersourcesthatcanbeusedforpurposesotherthandrinking.

Rainfall41,800ML/yr

Potablemainswater12,100ML/yr

-Council428ML/yr

-Residential5,400ML/yr

-Non-residential6,700ML/yr

Evapotranspiration/infiltration

30,500ML/yr

Rainwater/stormwaterreuse200ML/yr

TotalwaterusedinHobsonsBayML/yr16,672 ML/yr

Groundwater1,000ML/yr

Recycledwastewater2,200ML/yr

Wastewaterdischarge10,400ML/yr

Stormwaterrunoff11,100ML/yr

(including9,200ML/yroffhardstandareas)

AltonaTreatmentandRecyclingPlant2,200ML/yr

WerribeeTreatmentandRecyclingPlant8,200 ML/yr

Figure1CurrentwaterbalanceforHobsonsBay,measuredin1,000,000oflitresperyear.

PortPhillipBay

2.Increasepublicamenity–anetworkofsafe,functional,accessibleandattractiveopenspacesvaluedbyourcommunity.

WateravailabilityforirrigationofouropenandrecreationalspacesandwaterqualityforthehealthoflocalwaterwaysandPortPhillipBayarekeycomponentsformaintainingthefunctionality,attractivenessandsafetyoftheseopenspaces.

3.Increasepublichealth–anurbanenvironmentthatissafeforwaterbasedrecreationalactivities suchasfishingandswimmingandprovidesacoolhavenduringperiodsofhighandextreme temperatures.

WaterwaysandPortPhillipBaybecomecontaminatedwhenpollutantsarewashedintothestormwatersystem.Acombinationofimprovededucationaboutwaterwayhealthandincreaseduptakeinstormwatertreatmenttechnologiescanimprovewaterquality.Planningtoretainwaterinthelandscapetoirrigateandmaintaingreenspacescanreduceheatstressrisks.

4.Protectbiodiversity–managingstormwatertoprotectandcontinuallyenhanceindigenousecosystemhabitat.

Stormwaterfromurbanenvironmentscanbemanagedtoprotectbiodiversityandaquaticecosystems.Byusingtechniquesthatmimicthenaturalenvironment,peakflowscanbereducedandpollutantsremoved.

5.Reducingnuisanceflooding–theimpactofnuisancefloodingonmunicipalandcommunityactivitiesmitigatedthroughquality infrastructureandcommunication.

Newdevelopmentscanbedesignedtoincludeinfrastructurethatreducesstormwaterrunofffromhardsurfacesandreducestheriskofflooding.Effectivecommunicationcanencouragetheuptakeofsolutionsthatreducestormwaterrunofffromexistingdevelopments.

Whatwearegoingtodoaboutit?

LivingHobsonsBay:AnIntegratedWaterManagementPlanidentifiesthreetargets,eightaimsand21actionstoachievethevisionandobjectivesofthisplan.Asummaryofthetargetsandactionshasbeenprovidedonthenextpage.ForafulllistpleaserefertoSection7ofthefullplan.

Targetsandactions

ThethreeCounciltargetsare:

reducedrinkingwaterdemandby65MLby2018

increasethepercentageofthemunicipalitythatmeetsbestpracticestormwatermanagement,from 5%to11%

Meetbestpracticestormwatermanagement inallnewdevelopmentsTomeetthesetargetsCouncilwillimplementthefollowingkeyactions

Table1Summaryofkeyactions

Leadbyexample
Fundtheinstallationofsmartirrigationsystemstoreduceuseandmonitor22%oftheCouncil’sirrigationwaterby2018.Thiswillsave14ML.
Install taps andfittings with thehighest water efficientrating in allnew and upgradedCouncil buildings.
Subjectto supply availability,increaserecycled water useby 9ML by2018.
Developan additional 42MLof alternativewater supply by2018.
(Thiswillbedependenton Council’sabilitytopartnerwithwaterauthoritiestodelivertheseprojects).
Investigatethelikelyimpactthechangedrainfallpatternsarelikelytohaveonitsstormwaterharvestingactivities.
UsebestpracticestormwatermanagementinallnewandupgradedCouncilbuildings.
Investanaverageof$300,000perannum,inrealterms,inmeetingbestpracticestormwatermanagementintheCouncil’scapitalworksprojects.Thiscouldincludeinstallingwatertankswhenupgradingbuildings,passivelyirrigatingstreettreesorstormwaterharvesting.
Increasemaintenancebudgetsinlinewithindustrystandardsasnewassetscomeonline.
CreatecoolenvironmentsbyidentifyingpotentialforurbanheatIslandmitigationmeasuresinstrategicplansaffectingthepublicrealm
e.g.masterplans,UrbanDesignFrameworksandstructureplans.
BuildabusinesscaseforthedevelopmentofaBiodiversityStrategy.
Promoteintegratedwaterplanninginnewdevelopments
Reviewexistingpolicyfordevelopmentstomeetbestpracticestormwatermanagementandcloseanygaps.
ContinuetorequestthatallnewdevelopmentsprovideaSustainableToolsforEnvironmentalPerformanceStrategy(STEPS)orSustainableDesignScorecard(SDS)report.
Developguidelines,standardsandeducationmaterialonhowdevelopmentscanmosteffectivelyusevegetationandpassiveirrigationtominimisetheurbanheatislandeffect.
Workingwithlocalcommunities
Council will work to connect businessesand the community with resources that will assist themto become water efficient.
Developaneducationandcommunityengagementcampaigntoincreasetheuptakeofsmartstormwatertreatmentsolutionsinexistingandnewdevelopments.
Developaneducationcampaigndirectedatreducingthecontaminationofstormwaterinkeyareas.
Developaneducationprogramthatwillshowthecommunityhowtheycanutilisevegetationandpassiveirrigationtominimise the impact of theurban heat island effect.

HowwillCouncilmonitortheimplementationoftheplan?

Council’sprogresswillbereportedonannuallyinthe AnnualSustainability Report. This will enablethecommunitytotrackCouncil’sperformance.Councilwillalsoundertakeafullreviewoftheplan’ssuccesstoinformthenextone.

ForfurtherinformationortohaveacopyofthisreportinanalternativeformatcontacttheCouncil’sStrategyandAdvocacyDepartment

Telephone:(03)

ThefulltextdocumentoftheIntegratedWaterManagementPlanmaybeaccessedfromCouncil’s website at

HOBSONSBAYCITYCOUNCIL

115CivicParade,AltonaPOBox21,Altona3018

Phone(03)99321000

Fax(03)99321090