The Stormwater Harvesting

The Stormwater Harvesting (SWH) Project is the third of three major projects the Australian National University (ANU) has undertaken in order to reduce potable water use.

Several companies have provided development plans and tender documentation with regards to the project, and vital funding such as a green loan and government assistance must be secured in order to continue with the process.

The two most appropriate contractors have been identified. Easyrain has previously constructed a similar SWH system in Tuggeranong and should be used in this project. THCS is an ANU preferred hydraulic services consultant, and can be used in conjunction with Easyrain to deliver a higher capacity system. Furthermore, these two companies have provided the most information with regards to their SWH proposals.

We recommend that Easyrain and THCS work in tandem to deliver the 480kL SWH system, which has an initial outlay of $547,950 and a payback period of seven years and fifteen days.

Sustainability is becoming an increasingly fundamental issue towards a productive, innovative and marketable business. It is plainly clear that the toll we as a society inflict upon the greater environment is too great to ensure we leave an adequate quantity and quality of resources for future generations. One of these pressing issues is of course water. Between 1900 and 1995 global freshwater consumption rose 6-fold. This is more than twice the rate of population growth (Hatt, Deletic, Fletcher 2006). Stormwater offers an excellent opportunity to increase urban areas efficiency of water usage. As of 2004, only 4% of rainwater was recycled in urban areas in Australia (Hatt, Deletic, Fletcher 2006).

If you consider the ACT government's Act Water, Think Water plan for securing the ACT's water future, it clearly reflects the increasing importance of water sustainability as an agenda. The government outlines a reduction in per capita consumption of mains water of 12% by 2013 and 25% by 2023 through three specific measures: water efficiency, water recycling and increased use of stormwater and rainwater (Think Water, Act Water Summary pg.2). Coupled with this the government will require any building it builds or procures for its use to incorporate features to maximize efficiency of water use and to reduce demand on mains water (Think Water, Act Water Summary Pg.7). So it is clear that this an increasingly important issue, which requires attention.