A Practical Framework for Planning and Conceptual Design of Stormwater Utilisation Schemes

Source diversification has been identified as a possible solution to address limited availability of natural water resources in major cities across Australia. The work reported in this paper has been initiated to expand the current knowledge on source diversification in terms of stormwater as a potential supply source for urban use. In specific terms, this paper reports a development of a generic Framework for planning and conceptual design of stormwater utilisation schemes in urban areas. Water authorities and local councils can use this Framework to perform conceptual design of alternative stormwater servicing options including the use of stormwater for urban or commercial uses and to identify the most preferable stormwater servicing option in terms of sustainability objectives. Indented Head, a mid size coastal town near Geelong, Victoria, Australia with a permanent population of 600 and a summer population of 4600, was used as a case study to demonstrate applicability of this Framework. The case study indicated that the option that incorporates stormwater sensitive urban design features for new developments and utilises stormwater for commercial agricultural use as the most preferable stormwater servicing option for Indented Head.