Orange, New South Wales, Australia – Exploring expansion of current stormwater harvesting and purified recycled water
Orange is a town of around 43,000 people in regional New South Wales. In the past it has experienced years of drought and water restrictions. The community, keen for Orange City Council to address the water shortages, was supportive of a proposal to add stormwater into the drinking water supply.
This led to the creation of the award-winning Blackman’s Swamp Stormwater Harvesting Scheme in 2009, which has the capacity to provide around 1,300 million litres (3.5 million litres or 0.9 million gallons per day) of water into the town’s raw water supply each year, around a quarter of the town’s needs. The scheme captures a portion of the high flows in Blackmans Swamp Creek during storm events, transfers these to a holding pond for initial treatment and then to nearby Suma Park Dam, from where water is treated at Icely Road Water Filtration Plant then supplied to the city.
Orange City Council worked closely with state authorities like NSW Health, the New South Wales Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water to ensure the scheme reached relevant water safety standards. These measures also improved the downstream environment through the removal of suspended solids via a series of gross pollutant traps, and reducing peak flow levels which reduced the likelihood of riverbank erosion and damage.
The Council also involved the community to develop water loss minimisation initiatives and education on wise water use. These awareness campaigns included local and national media coverage, community information sessions, tours, online surveys and signage at key locations explaining the need for better water security and explaining the treatment technology.
In 2011 Orange expanded the Blackmans Swamp Creek Stormwater Harvesting Scheme with the Ploughmans Creek Stormwater Harvesting Scheme, which uses constructed wetlands to harvest and clean stormwater to supplement Suma Park Dam supplies. State Government approval for an expansion to the Blackmans Swamp Creek Stormwater Harvesting Scheme to construct an additional wetland has recently been granted. This project is proposed to be constructed by early 2026.
Sourcing purified recycled water from wastewater has also been identified as an option. In Orange the town’s wastewater is recycled to a nearby gold mine. Surveys indicate the community’s experience with stormwater harvesting has lent support to purified recycled water being explored. Any future decisions to include purified recycled water in the drinking water supply would be subject to community consultation and government approvals.
Resources
Macquarie-Castlereagh Regional Water Strategy (2023)