Theme 2: On Ground Action & Infrastructure
What is Stormwater?
Stormwater is pure rainwater plus anything the rain carries along with it.
In urban areas stormwater is generated by rain runoff from roof, roads, driveways, footpaths and other impervious or hard surfaces.
In Australia the stormwater system is separate from the sewer system. Unlike sewage, stormwater is generally not treated before being discharged to waterways and the sea.
Urban stormwater is often carrying a cocktail of pollutants such as litter, decaying organic matter, domestic animal droppings, motor oil, pesticides and other toxic substances. Poorly managed stormwater can cause thus problems on and offsite through erosion and the transportation of nutrients, chemical pollutants and sediments to waterways.
On Ground action & infrastructure is the core part of Creek to Coral, where on-ground action is taken to improve water quality in waterways, including infrastructure upgrading and modernisation.
On ground actions include:
- Urban Water Management
A major part and driver on ground actions are the Urban Water Management components. These components will be critical in supporting an effective water infrastructure improvement framework in the region.
- Vegetation management
Creek to Coral through the CCI project is determining where riparian vegetation needs rehabilitating. Native aquatic plants and exotic weeds are being identified within the Creek to Coral catchments and management regimes are being established.
- Habitats modelling and conservation status Creek to Coral through the CCI project is mapping wetland and riverways (using GIS techniques) and identifying their conservation status (i.e. fish habitat, seagrass meadows, endangered species rehabilitation etc.) See interactive map of the region
- Addressing coastal beach and dune erosion, studying the process further and implementing long-term strategies such as sand renourishment. See TCC projects on Rowes Bay Intertidal Flats
- Reef monitoring
Community groups such as Reef Check Australia are actively involved in Reef monitoring around Townsville and Thuringowa
URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT
Healthy urban water, including wastewater and stormwater, is critical to ensure healthy waterways. Creek to Coral is infrastructure-based, and hence focuses on water infrastructure such as stormwater and sewage. Main partners for infrastructure management are Citiwater, Citiworks and Thuringowa Water.
Urban Water Management components of C2C include:
- Urban Stormwater Quality Management. Stormwater is being managed to be adapted to local conditions (long dry season, wet season). In Townsville, the stormwater programmes come under the Stormwater Quality Management Framework. Strategies such as artificial wetlands to retain and extract the nutrients from water prior to release in the Great Barrier Reef are being explored.
Both Townsville and Thuringowa are developing and implementing Urban Stormwater Quality Management Plans- USQMP
Creek to Coral is also exploring innovative approaches to stormwater management through CCI-On Ground Infrastructure
Upgrading of sewage treatment plants.
- Sewage treatment plants are being upgraded to meet 2008 Commonwealth requirements. Wastewater recycling opportunities are also being explored.
- For more information on sewage treatment plants in Townsville please click here
- For more information for wastewater treatment in Thuringowa click here
URBAN STORMWATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLAN (USQMP)
Under the 1997 Environmental Protection (Water) Policy (EPP (Water), all local governments with an urban stormwater system are required to develop and implement a Urban Stormwater Quality Management Plan or USQMP. The plans must aim at improving the quality of stormwater consistently with the water quality objectives.
Both Townsville and Thuringowa City Council are developing USQMPs and implementing priority actions to address issues associated with stormwater management.
In Townsville the Plan focuses on priority sites and assesses available water quality data to set water quality objectives for the pollution management of catchments and waterways. The USQMP includes the development of site-specific environmental management plans as well as integrated catchment management plans, and includes community involvement and education. Upgrading and managing GPTs are also a priority in both Townsville and Thuringowa.
For more information on the implementation of USQMP within Townsville and Thuringowa regions please click here and visit TCC’s State of Environment Report (SOE)
Creek to Coral USQMP Initiatives
Creek to Coral is coordinating the following USQMP initiatives for Townsville and Thuringowa catchments.
- Weekly water quality monitoring (Citiworks/TCC Environmental Management Services)
Townsville City Council-Environmental Management Services and Citiworks are working jointly to ensure an optimal water quality around the city’s main creeks. The water quality in 10 spots is monitored weekly and analysed for a better understanding of processes and impacts affecting water quality in these creeks.
- The Lakes water quality monitoring events (Paradise Lake, West End and Curralea Lake, Pimlico) are occuring regularly to obtain a better understanding of natural processes and to prevent undesirable events such as algae bloom and fish kills.
- Australian Centre for Tropical Freshwater Research (ACTFR) water quality monitoring programme. The ACTRF is undertaking an integrated monitoring programme as part of the CCI project, recording all WQ events around the twin cities. More…
- Creekwatch is the main community link for inland water quality and fish monitoring (waterways and wetlands in Townsville and Thuringowa regions)
WATER SENSITIVE URBAN DESIGN (WSUD)
Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) is an alternative, integrative approach to urban water management.
It seeks to integrate water cycle management into urban planning and design by minimising the extent of impervious surfaces, developing on-site re-use of the water and mitigating changes to natural water balance.
WSUD seeks to reduce the required size of structural stormwater system, hence:- reducing soil erosion by high-speed stormwater flow, and
- reducing pollution of waterways through stormwater drainage into watercourses and the marine environment.
Examples of WSUD techniques include porous paving, rainwater tanks, infiltration devices and landscape measures such as grassed swales and vegetation.
WSUD adopts an integrative approach. This allows to enhance social and environmental amenity of the urban landscape, in addition to resolving problems associated with urban water, especially stormwater. WSUD can also be a cost-effective way to manage urban water by reducing maintenance costs. - reducing soil erosion by high-speed stormwater flow, and
CSIRO publication on WSUD (Chapter 5)
