ERA councils aquifers catch stormwater from Adelaide's eastern creeks and wetlands to irrigate reserves

Waterproofing Eastern Adelaide project was designed to capture and treat up to 500 million litres of stormwater from local watercourses each year. 
Image courtesy Wallbridge Gilbert Aztec

Capturing stormwater in aquifers to use for irrigating public reserves is part of a Waterproofing Eastern Adelaide scheme started around 2015 by the Eastern Region Alliance (ERA) of Burnside, Norwood, Payneham and St Peters, Campbelltown, Unley, Prospect and Walkerville councils.

The $22 million Waterproofing Eastern Adelaide project, funded by the federal government and Natural Resource Management Board, was designed to capture and treat up to 500 million litres of stormwater from local watercourses each year.

Stormwater was harvested from Third and Fourth creeks and treated at one of two treatment sites: the Felixstow Reserve wetlands and biofilters, and the Hamilton Park Reserve biofilters and ultra-violet disinfection system.

Treated water was injected into a fractured rock aquifer for storage and is extracted as required for irrigation of parks and reserves. More than 40km of pipeline, bores and pump stations, a wetland and biofilters, including one at Tusmore Park, were constructed.

Also in Adelaide’s eastern suburbs, the Lochiel Park stormwater reuse scheme has been developed by Renewal SA as part of its development of the Lochiel Park Green Village in Campbelltown. This involved using treated stormwater from a wetland and underground aquifer.

A project to ensure South Australia’s River Murray wetlands remain healthy was approved in 2016. It involved infrastructure to manage and scientifically monitor 11 wetlands. It aimed to improve the efficiency of environmental water use while boosting the ecology of wetlands through more natural wetting and drying cycles, and improving flow and fish passage.

The project fostered the recovery of 16 endangered wetland plants across four river reaches and double the wetlands where native fish are dominant, as well as ensuring the full suite of local frogs and key waterbird species.