The South Australian Government has released its Stormwater Strategy, developed by the Stormwater Taskforce which was established in September last year.

 

The strategy, The Future of Stormwater Management,  contains nine actions  to be implemented over the next four years to improve the capture and reuse of stormwater in Adelaide and recommends a more unified approach between all the responsible parties – Government, the Local Government Association and the Stormwater Management Authority.

 

The nine actions are:

  • to develop an integrated ‘blueprint for urban water’ for stormwater and wastewater for Greater Adelaide, incorporating the water sensitive city theme and addressing priority issues;
  • introduce interim targets for water sensitive urban design, ahead of developing and implementing the best regulatory approach to mandate water sensitive urban design;
  • identify what changes are required to stormwater infrastructure to improve water quality outcomes in line with the Adelaide Coastal Waters Water Quality Improvement Plan and the Torrens Taskforce Initiative;
  • develop access rights to stormwater for re-use scheme owners to provide certainty for stormwater resources, thereby creating incentives for investment in stormwater capture, treatment, storage and use;
  • complete further studies to improve the knowledge and management of public health risks relating to the recycling of stormwater, including assessing the risk of augmenting drinking water supplies;
  • evaluate options for management of urban watercourses on public and private land to further minimise flooding risk;
  • further improve the management of flood risk by prioritising flood mitigation scheme proposals and by evaluating the possibility of: ensuring information about flood risk is available at the time of property purchase, adequate insurance cover, investing in flood preparedness, and, ensuring the State’s planning system includes minimum risk standards for all types of developments; 
  • commission a scientific research program to underpin urban water policy, in particular, the integrated management of water resources, and support the development of policies to encourage the widespread adoption of water sensitive urban design; and
  • complete the review of current governance arrangements with a view to establishing an appropriate governance body that has the power to: ensure the timely delivery of stormwater management projects, set priorities and standards for stormwater planning and infrastructure investment, assign maintenance and management for all urban watercourses, attract funding for stormwater management, and develop and implement the blueprint for urban stormwater and treated wastewater.

 

The Minister for Water, Paul Caica, said the government recognised that stormwater is a highly valuable, fit-for-purpose resource.

 

“Between now and 2015, we will implement the Strategy’s nine actions to improve the capture and reuse of stormwater in Adelaide,’’ he said.

 

“The Strategy highlights how individual urban water resources can no longer be managed in isolation. Stormwater should not be managed independently of wastewater and strong flood-mitigation measures must be incorporated into our urban design.

 

“To achieve this integration, there must be a unified approach between all the responsible parties – similar to how the Strategy was developed through the combined efforts of the Stormwater Taskforce members.

 

The Taskforce was chaired by the Department for Water Chief Executive Scott Ashby and included senior representatives from the Stormwater Management Authority, SA Water, the Goyder Institute.

 

The Future of Stormwater Management  is available here