The Challenge
Stormwater extracted from the downstream end of Troups Creek Wetland is being treated to supply water for irrigation and toilet flushing to 58 urban allotments in Narre Warren North. However, it is suspected that a high suspended sediment concentration is influencing the efficacy of treatment. Furthermore, it is suggested that the comprehensive treatment system is somewhat overdesigned for the current end-use.
The Project
The overarching objective of this project is to improve the efficacy of the Troops Creek stormwater harvesting system, while at the same time providing essential information to aid in the design of stormwater harvesting systems in the future.
The project will be used as a demonstration site to:
- Understand (characterise) the stormwater produced from an urban/peri urban catchment in particular understand the variability in quality and its correlation with treatment needs;
- Understand the design parameters that are critical for design of a suitable safe treatment train to meet the needs of this stormwater;
- Provide information in the correct form for and transfer to other sites;
- Identify appropriate management of stormwater projects where there are multiple partners involved; and
- Provide input into and influence guideline development.
The Anticipated Outcome
An event based quality monitoring program targeting the supply source, treatment process and output will be conducted over 2 years. The main emphasis will be on microorganism removal (including pathogens) since these often present the highest human health risk and obtaining a better understanding of the contaminants that impact the quality of the water. The outcomes of the project will improve the business case being developed for stormwater treatment, confirming how realistic it would be for this water source to be an effective, economically viable alternative to supplement drinking water supplies for urban and peri-urban areas.