Alternative water management options in a developed catchment

This paper describes a preliminary feasibility study of the development of alternative water management options for a fully urbanized, residential, stormwater catchment. The study is a collaborative project carried out by CSIRO Urban Water (CUW) and Sydney Water Corporation (SWC). The methodology used was adapted from one developed for Greenfield sites, the established catchment requiring a more iterative process to incorporate detailed information on current catchment condition and practices and community attitudes. Additional factors to be considered when selecting suitable technologies and techniques (tools) for developed urban areas included; the condition and evolution of existing infrastructure, development trends in the catchment, open space availability and recreational and amenity values, current policies and practices and socio-economic status of catchment residents. This preliminary study highlighted the need to extend and improve the tools available so that they can be applied to existing sites and utilize existing infrastructure and promote behavioural change in established communities.