Manly Council has received over $1 million of grants and support to develop an innovate pilot stormwater reuse treatment train in the Manly Ocean Beach Pine Street Catchment under the Environment Australia Urban Stormwater Initiative. The project is a joint initiative between Manly Council and Environment Australia and is funded under the Commonwealth Government’s Urban Stormwater Initiative Program and Manly Council’s Environmental Levy.
Taking an integrated catchment approach, the project involves State agencies, the commercial sector, non government organisations and the community in the development of concepts and in the ongoing oversight and monitoring of the project. The $1.3 million project is aimed at reducing the volume of nutrient rich and polluted stormwater currently being discharged directly into the ocean off Manly and treating it for reuse and irrigating the famous Manly Norfolk pines.
In historic Smith Street, near Manly Ocean Beach, pervious pavement has been used to completely replace the road pavement to reduce run off flow and allow treated storm water to permeate to the water table. Closer to the beach, stormwater devices, to treat, store and recycle water, have been installed on the Beach Promenade to capture run off from short term parking bays.
The treatment includes eco soil media, which is a biologically engineered soil. This eco soil contains microbes that digest the nutrients and other pollutants before the water is stored for irrigation. The recycled water will be used to irrigate the Norfolk Island pines and the promenade area along Manly’s famous Ocean Beach.
The project makes use of the new technologies to improve environmental management and pollution prevention in an area with a high population density and large numbers of tourists, and which has associated littering and stormwater quality problems.Apart from testing innovative technology, the Manly project has powerful implications for planning regulation, urban design and future stormwater pollution control.
Council will also be participating in a separate public education campaign that will emphasise the role that every person, including visitors, can play to dispose of litter responsibly and help improve water quality.
For further information contact Council’s General Manager, Wayne Collins, on (02) 9976 1502.
