Storm Water Harvesting Project Planning

This study aims to plan a project on storm water harvesting, based on the system used in Fitzroy Gardens, Melbourne, Australia. The study includes background and literature review, project details, planning and design, equipment and tools required, and more.

Running head: Storm water Harvesting
Project Planning
-Storm water Harvesting
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Contents
Objective:...................................................................................................................................3
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Background and Literature Review...........................................................................................4
Description and Scope:............................................................................................................14
Project Details:.....................................................................................................................14
Planning and Design:...........................................................................................................15
Design to introduce water into the landscape:.....................................................................15
Consultation and commitment with the community:...........................................................16
Important suggestions from the Fitzroy Garden Project Team:...........................................17
Equipment and Tools required.................................................................................................17
For the Study:.......................................................................................................................17
For the Project:.....................................................................................................................17
Gross Pollutant Traps (GPT):...........................................................................................17
Sedimentation Chamber:..................................................................................................18
Dual Tanks:......................................................................................................................18
Biofiltration Bed:.............................................................................................................19
Plants:...............................................................................................................................20
Pumps:..............................................................................................................................21
UV Filters:........................................................................................................................22
Irrigation System:.............................................................................................................22
Constraint if any.......................................................................................................................22

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Conclusion................................................................................................................................24
References:...............................................................................................................................25

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Objective:
The objective of this study is to plan a project on storm water harvesting, based on the
system used in Fitzroy Gardens, Melbourne, Australia.
Introduction
All the freshwater in the world accounts for only about 2.5% of the total water on the
world, compared to 97% of saline water. Of this 2.5% freshwater, about 1.7% is trapped in
the form of ice, snow and glaciers, 0.5% in the form of moisture in soil or in the form of
groundwater, and all the lakes, rivers and swamps constitute 0.01% of the total water on this
planet. Fresh water is a vital natural resource, and essential component of an ecosystem, and
unpolluted, fresh water only accounts for about 0.004% to the total water content in earth
(Petersen et al. 2017). This makes freshwater a renewable, yet limited resource, which is
replenished in the process of the water cycle, in which water in the form of water vapour,
from all the water bodies form clouds and then returns as precipitate. However, the
consumption of water by humans is slowly exceeding the rate at which the water is
replenished, thus stressing the local environments and dwindling the supply of fresh water.
With the rise in population as well as per capita use of water, we have severely strained the
limited resources of fresh water. According to the World Bank, the interaction of four factors
related to freshwater reserves is the quality, quantity and volume of water, as well as the
timing of water. Stress on any of these factors further adds stress on the other factors, which
further affects the freshwater reserves. The process of eutrophication and water pollution are
few other factors that also add up to this stress. As a result, many areas are already facing
crisis in the availability of fresh water, and it is expected to the problems will continue to
exist and spread to other areas, if the current trend in water consumption continues. This can
have serious adverse effects on the population, as everything from sanitation; food production

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and overall public well being are dependent on the presence of clean and fresh water
(Lomborg 2018; Garcia-Moreno et al., 2014).
This highlights the importance of using strategies to improve the usage of fresh water,
and minimize the wastage of it. This also includes trying to find new ways of utilizing water
that usually goes to waste such as rainwater and storm water (Lampard et al. 2015). While
rainwater usually refers to only the water that lands on the roof during the rain, while storm
water is the collective rainwater water runoff from various sources such as roads, buildings,
hillsides, drains, and other urban environments like gardens, parks, fields or arenas (Garcia-
Moreno et al., 2014). In the process of rainwater harvesting, this runoff is collected,
accumulated, treated and purified, and stored for reuse. In Australia, Many different projects
have been set up and supported by the government in the harvesting of storm water. This also
allows reducing the ecological impacts of the increased consumption of fresh water,
providing the ability to reuse the water wasted as runoffs in rains (Coombes et al. 2016).
Background and Literature Review
Usage of storm water also comes with a significant concern regarding the safety of the
re-usage of the water. Since the water is collected from runoffs from many types of
impervious surfaces such as roads, drains or other urban structures, they can likely to contain
a lot of pollutants (Knight 2017; Nnadi et al. 2015; Mbanaso et al. 2016; Reeve et al. 2015).
This makes necessary the process of treating and purifying the water properly before being
reused. The Environmental Protection and Heritage Council (EPHC) provides guidelines to
establish the best practices for protecting public health and environment and managing the
risks associated with storm water use, and can be used as the basis of developing and
managing storm water usage (nepc.gov.au 2018; agriculture.gov.au 2009). The Fitzroy

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gardens also provides valuable insights into the planning of storm water harvesting system,
which will be followed in this proposed project.
Several studies have highlighted the uses of storm water harvesting process. Nnadi et
al. (2015) studies the composition of the storm water, and its usability in irrigation, and found
that storm water meets the quality requirements to meet the standards of irrigation. This
shows that storm water harvesting system can easily be used for supplying or supplementing
irrigation water. However, as Nnadi et al. also pointed out that care must be taken not to let
the water enter the natural water resources, since it can lead to eutrophication of the water
resource, owing to the hydrocarbons present in the water. Studies by Hoban et al. (2015) also
suggested that storm water harvesting has a great potential as an alternate source of supply of
fresh water, since it is relatively abundant, often available in close proximity to urban needs
and if not harvested can even cause environmental harm. This shows a dual advantage of
storm water harvesting, that is 1) Providing an alternative and dependable source of
freshwater, especially in urban areas and 2) Protecting the environment from the adverse
effects of the storm water by controlling its flow. Khan et al. (2016) studied the usability of
storm water in dairy industry, and through four years of research, they found that productivity
of daily farms can also be increased by the reuse of storm water after proper treatment of the
storm water. Such a conclusion was also supported by Fyfe and Hagare (2015) who also
proposed that managing the runoff and effluents from a dairy farm and sheds in a two pond
treatment and storage process can help to improve the handling of manure solids, control
levels of salt in the effluent, and thus improve the recovery rates of the nutrient. Harvesting
the rainwater can increase the freshwater catchment as well as improve the productivity of the
farm. Benefits of storm water harvesting in urban areas have been studied by Coombes et al.
(2016), whose study showed that sustainable buildings and households function as an
integrated system to provide a synergistic and accumulative benefits towards the conservation

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of water as well as protect the waterways, improving infrastructure performance and reducing
the environmental impacts of runaway strormwater.
According to Rainwater Harvesting Australia, rainwater harvesting provides triple
advantages in an urban area: it reduces the expense of the water infrastructure in an urban
setup; household expenditure of water can be reduced by supplementing it with storm water
and it also reduces the management cost for storm water. After surface water and
groundwater, rainwater and storm water forms the third largest source of freshwater for
Australia. Through rainwater alone, about 274 billion litters of water are saved each year, and
according to Australian Bureau of Statistics, 26% of houses in Australia have rainwater tanks
(rainwaterharvesting.org.au 2018). This shows that the practice of reusing rainwater is
already a strategy known in many households, and this shows the general awareness and
acceptability of this method of conserving as well as supplementing the dwindling reserves of
freshwater in Australia (Peterson 2016).
Vaisman (2014) outlined the components that are required for a typical stormwater
harvesting system in an urban setup. The components include: 1) A catchment that provides
the volume of the runoff. 2) Structure of diversion of the water. 3) Device for primary
screening of water 4) Buffer storage chamber 5) Facilities to transfer the water from buffer
storage (like pumps or rising mains). 6) Facilities for the treatment of water 7) Facilities to
transfer the clear water to storage units 8) Storage units for clear water 9) Pumps for
distributing the clear water 10) Disinfection units and supply rising main and 11) End use of
the water (Vaisman 2014; Cooper 2018; Cooper 2016; Morey et al. 2016)

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Figure 1: A Functional Diagram of Stormwater Harvesting Components; (source:
Vaisman 2014).
The mode of operation of the stormwater harvesting system also has been proposed by
Vaisman (2014) as a 9 step process: step 1 A predetermined volume of stormwater runoff
from the catchment area to be diverted using a diversion structure installed on the existing
drainage systems. Step 2: The diverted water is then screened and any pollutants and coarse
materials removed. Step 3: The screened water is transferred to buffer storage chamber by the
gravitational force. The buffer storage helps to equalize the variations between the inflows of

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water, optimizing the operational parameters of the pump that transports water to the
treatment chamber. Step 4: Water is then transported from the buffer chamber to the
treatment chamber where wetland or biofiltration can be used and the desired quality of the
water can be obtained. Step 5: The treated stormwater is then transferred to storage for clear
water using pumps. Step 6: Clear water is stored in the storage units for use. A large storage
tank for storing the clean water for agricultural use can help to overcome the temporal
differences between rainfall (supply) and irrigation (use). Step 7: Clean water is then supplied
to the end users through a network of pumps and pipelines. Step 8: In the distribution process,
water can also pass through an additional disinfection process like UV filters system to
destroy any microbes in the water. Step 9: Ready to use water can them be supplied directly
(Vaisman 2014; Alderbashi et al. 2014).
Various important aspects needs to be considered in the planning, designing and
implementation of the project, and can include: a) environmental aspects (such as flora &
fauna, heritage and cultural aspect, land capacity assessment, environmental risk assessment)
b) planning and approval (statutory and land acquisition, planning zone and permit for dam;
license from water authorities to build diversions and obtain water license; and other utilities
such as electricity and telecom) c) public consultation d) investigation of the site (which can
include geotechnical; surveys; sampling of water quality and water flow) e) preparing
detailed design of the harvesting scheme (includes diversion works and primary screens,
infrastructure to transfer water, in line detention of stormwater, storage of stormwater, water
treatment system, storage of clear water, and infrastructure of stormwater distribution) f)
Tasks involved (designing hydraulics such as diversion rate, detention and storage volume,
structures for inlets and outlets, pipes and pumps; mechanical designs for pipes, pumps and
tanks; structural engendering works; civil structuring; electrical engineering works; treatment
processes; instrumentation and control) g) landscape architecture h) irrigation designing i)

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estimation of the construction process j) Project management and reporting k) Management
of construction l) commissioning and scheme validation m) scheme performance post
commission, audit and reporting n)Operation and maintenance (Vaisman 2014; Jha et al.
2014).
The Fitzroy Gardens in Melbourne has a stormwater harvesting system that is largest
in the city. Every year, it provides 30 million litters of fresh water, which is also used for the
maintenance of the Heritage Garden in Fitzroy. The storm water harvesting system is used to
replenish 59% of the drinkable water used in the park, and was built as a portion of a larger
project in the former depot in the garden consisting of a new open space for the public, depot
facilities and a Visitor Centre. Information on the stormwater harvesting system can be
shared with the community in these visitor centres, increasing the public awareness and
accessibility of the infrastructure. In 2011, the Australian Government provided a funding of
$4.8 million through the Water for Future initiative, as a part of the Eastern Melbourne Parks
and Gardens Stormwater Harvesting Scheme (urbanwater.melbourne.vic.gov.au 2018). The
stormwater harvesting system in Fitzroy gardens provided benefits like: Saving 30 million
litters of drinking water every year; Source of a reliable and alternative freshwater source to
irrigate the gardens; Limiting the amount of pollutants (Nitrogen, phosphorus, heavy metals
and sediments) entering natural water reserves (Yarra River and Port Philip Bay); Helped the
management of the impact of heat waves and droughts; Reaching the goal of sourcing 30% of
water use in the city of Melbourne through alternate sources
(urbanwater.melbourne.vic.gov.au 2018).
Research and planning for the project phase continued from 2009 to 2012 (12
months), the concept design were made on January, 2010 (1 month), and funding application
was submitted by February 2010 (1 month). The funding was approved by May 2011 (15
months), and construction began on April 2012, and continued till December 2013 (18

10Storm water Harvesting
months). Testing and monitoring were done on December 2013 (1 month). The team for the
project included professionals from various domains in order to work on several key aspects
such as: Geotechnical analysis (do Carmo Souza and Kandolkar 2018). Design and
construction of irrigation system. Assessment and management of soil contamination.
Repository of contaminated soil and submission to EPA. Design and documentation of the
construction. Construction work. Studies of tree impacts. Survey of the features of the site.
Demolition of site. Advise on the heritage of the site and its submission. Inspection and
report on the heritage site. Continued maintenance. (urbanwater.melbourne.vic.gov.au 2018;
Furlong et al. 2016; Ghimire and Johnston 2017)
A multi disciplinary team was a crucial aspect of the project, which allowed every
aspect of the project to be addressed and analysed, to give valuable insights into the problems
and also fostered innovativeness in the project. The total cost of the project was $4.2 million,
with an estimated average cost of $2.49 per kilolitre of water. The total cost included the
following components: $10,000 for Geotechnical Survey, $251,000 for documenting and
managing soil contamination, $314,000 for designing and documentation, $284,000 to set up
diversions, $2,631,000 for erecting tanks, and $100,000 for water treatment facilities and
$610,000 for setting up irrigation connectors. The project exceeded the initial budget by 20%,
and it was mainly due to the costs of managing the soil contamination at the site
(urbanwater.melbourne.vic.gov.au 2018).
The planning approval for the project at Fitzroy Gardens involved two main factors: a)
maintaining the heritage status of the site b) ability to manage contaminated soil at the depot
site. Getting the approval was also time intensive, and took about 18 months and the services
of expert consultants. A key consideration in the process was the demolition of a heritage
building in the depot to allow the construction of the stormwater harvesting system. The
approval for demolition was given since the need for an alternate source of water was of a

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higher priority than the retention of the heritage building. Also, it was expected that the
completed project should not damage the visual impact of the heritage site, including the
existing vegetation in the area (urbanwater.melbourne.vic.gov.au 2018; Walsh et al. 2016).
Additionally, some of the requirements of the construction of the project were: Setting up a
5m buffer zone for all heritage buildings on the site and Measures to protect trees, including
their root systems of the existing elm trees.
Approval from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was also needed due to the
classification level of the contaminated soil at the site, which prevented the soil to be
removed from the site. Due to this, most of the contaminated soil had to be stored at the site
during the construction phase, and then buried again around the tank. This involved a
significant amount of supervision and planning (urbanwater.melbourne.vic.gov.au 2018).
The Fitzroy Garden project provides several important insights which can be utilized in
the planning and designing of other Stormwater Harvesting systems. These include: a)
Ensuring an independent assessment of the design proposal to cross check the initial cost
analysis, and thus prevent costly errors. b) Keeping in mind the possible heritage
considerations and soil contamination in the planning and design phase, to prevent any
unforeseen delay in the process. c) Consistence in the management of the project is vital to
ensure the original objectives of the project are delivered effectively and optimally d) Bring
prepared for new opinions is also vital since contractors can also provide alternatives to the
tendered design of the project. These suggestions might or might not be advantageous to the
project especially in the context of the performance and operation. Therefore assessment of
the proposals and opinions by expert consultants can be useful to access such alternatives. e)
Using external funding systems to boost internal support network. This can help to fast track
project implementation and support the multidisciplinary team needed to deliver the project
to increase the knowledge and support for the management of the whole water cycle. f)

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Bundling of the projects can also be useful, since different water sensitive urban design
(WSUD) projects can allow the integration of several projects of water conservation into a
single project, which have been found to be more cost effective than implementing each
project one at a time. Also, a collective assessment of the environmental benefits of the
bundled project can give a more attractive picture to be presented to potential fund providers.
g) Considering the time taken to secure a source of funding is important, since the process
also can take a lot of time. Agreements on funding also need reporting regularly and
evaluations. Time for such activities should be set aside, to be included as a part of the
project planning process and in the process of application, reporting and evaluation of the
project for funding partners. h) Ensuring correct calculations are done before the design is
started with. In the Fitzroy gardens, overestimation of the processing capacity of biofilter bed
resulted with it being made smaller than the required size. The bed had to be increased in the
final design phase to accommodate the required volume of storm water treatment. This led to
delay in the project. i) Proper analysis of the soil for soil condition and soil contaminants
during the early design phase of the project should be done as it can affect the feasibility and
the overall costs of the project. It is possible to manage contaminated soil cost effectively
through time and persistence. j) Temporary water diversion pipes can be useful in cases of
accidental water logging due to damage to the main pipelines. k) A calculation on soil
volume that needs to be excavated also needs to be accurate. An underestimation of the
correct volume of contaminated soil in the Fitzroy Gardens during the initial calculations
resulted in further delays in the project. l) Ensuring a safe access for inspection and cleaning
of the underground structures should also be a part of the construction design, else it can
incur additional expenses until the detailed design is made. m) Assessment of the pits by
landscape architect can help to hide them effectively or identify their use in the project, which
can help to contain the cost and complexity of the project. n) Monitoring of the pumps can be

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done using temperature sensors and connecting cables to monitor the operating temperatures
of the pumps to ensure the motors do not overheat (urbanwater.melbourne.vic.gov.au 2018).
Description and Scope:
The Scope of the study includes the analysis of the planning and designing of
stormwater harvesting system based on the Fitzroy Garden project on stormwater harvesting.
It will also include suggestions and aspects from the Fitzroy project which can be kept in
mind in the development of a new project.
Project Details:
The depot site at the Fitzroy Gardens is surrounded by a catchment area of 67 hectare,
and is a natural low point in that area, which provides the ideal opportunity to accumulate the
stormwater through the natural flow of the runoffs. From there the stormwater is diverted to a
network of underground drainage constructed by the side of the Wellington Parade
(Fitzroygardens.com 2018). The process of treatment starts with a trap to filter the large
pollutants in the water like litter and leaves. The water then is transferred to a chamber to
allow sedimentation. Large suspended particulate pollutants (like oil and fine sand) are
removed in this camber. Next the water is transferred to primary storage tank, which has a
capacity of 4 million litters, where the partially treated water can be stored. The water is then
pumped to the surface, where invisible pollutants such as phosphorus and nitrogen is
removed by a biofiltration bed (biofilta.com.au 2018). One million litters of the stormwater
from are stored in secondary chambers to be used for irrigation purposes and excess water is
returned to the stormwater channels or drains. Before the water is channelled back to the
irrigation network of the garden it is also treated with Ultraviolet light to destroy any
microbes in the water (urbanwater.melbourne.vic.gov.au 2018).

14Storm water Harvesting
Planning and Design:
The research and preparation of the project included several assessments and surveys
of the surrounding environment. It included: a) Water Plan (which was used to show the
precise size and layout of the area covered in vegetation and their uses. The information was
used to estimate the irrigation needs and importance) b)Geotechnical survey (which was used
to make recommendations which informed the final design of the project based on the ground
water level and soil conditions) c)soil contamination assessment (used to outline the approach
by the management to gain approval from EPA) d) MUSIC modelling (using the data on
rainfall and levels of pollutants in stormwater to analyse the efficacy of the proposed system
of water treatment and decide the suitable size of the biofiltration bed) e) Statement of
Heritage Impact (which is a part of the application process for acquiring permit for the
project) (urbanwater.melbourne.vic.gov.au 2018; Hoban et al. 2015; Chandrasena et al. 2016;
Hoban et al. 2017).
Design to introduce water into the landscape:
Water is the principle factor in the landscape of the garden. A rill (which is a stream
like feature) forms the spine of the garden, and it follows the natural drainage line from north
to south of the garden, and includes several ponds. Even though the rill is an artificial
construction, it is based on the creek which flowed through the site before the construction of
the project. The rill flows intermittently due to the low average rainfall in the area. The
stormwater harvesting and the new visitor centre are constructed at the bottom of the rill,
thereby providing an extension of the stream in the new landscape. This can allow people to
interact with the water in the garden and help to celebrate the history of the place. The water
that is recycled from the stormwater harvesting system is channelled to the new stream, and

15Storm water Harvesting
this water is supplied from the reuse tank, diverted into a separate tank which cycles through
the feature of the water (urbanwater.melbourne.vic.gov.au 2018).
Consultation and commitment with the community:
The project team maintained a close working relation with the community from the
design phase of the project, and they received a strong support for the sustainable water
management designs. Consultation with the community was the master stroke of the project
managers to ensure success of the project (urbanwater.melbourne.vic.gov.au 2018). This
allows several important information on the project to be shared with the community. The
information shared included:
 Installing 3 information signs in the project site
 Using media events and television coverage to reach a wide audience
 Sharing the schemes of the project through presentations given to Australian and
international governments, industry conferences and university students
 Using tours and site visits with personnel from the industry or groups from local or
international organizations.
 Production of video in association with the Government of Victoria which focused on
the Total Watermark Strategy. It also included vital information on the system at
Fitzroy Garden.
(urbanwater.melbourne.vic.gov.au 2018)
Important suggestions from the Fitzroy Garden Project Team:
Equipment and Tools required
For the Study:

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Study of the literature on Rainwater Harvesting was done through systematic searches
in Google scholar. Searches were done to find relevant sources of literature that studied the
advantages of storm water harvesting system and to identify the effective strategies for the
planning of storm water harvesting project. The Fitzroy Stormwater Harvesting case study is
specially focused, taken into account the process of planning, design and construction done
on the project as well as additional activities involved in the project pertaining to the process
of getting permits from the various agencies. The secondary research done for this study also
involved reviews of Rainwater Harvesting systems to find effective design solutions and to
identify important considerations that needs to be addressed in the project.
For the Project:
Gross Pollutant Traps (GPT):
HumeGard model HG30A-R can be used at the diversion point of the stormwater drain
diversion point, 3 meters from the sedimentation chamber. The structure can be a concrete
unit, and installed separately. It has a pollutant capacity of 9.7 cubic meters
(urbanwater.melbourne.vic.gov.au 2018).
This is the initial device for screening and filtering gross and large pollutants (larger
than 150 microns) from the stormwater collected by the harvesting system. The GPT serves
an important function of preventing the debris in stormwater to clog the water channels and
storage tanks. The system can also help to remove 90% of gross debris like litter or
vegetation; 85-99% of sediments, 90% of hydrocarbons and 20% of nutrients like nitrogen
and phosphorus (Vaisman 2014).
The GPT needs to be inspected at least once every three months to remove any debris,
gravel sand or silt by using a suction hose. GPT can be cleaned with a pressurized jet of
water. The ideal time for inspection and cleaning is after a major event of storm. The GPT

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can function normally for about 10 years, and its replacement should be a part of the
maintenance budget (Jonasson et al. 2016).
Sedimentation Chamber:
The Sedimentation chamber can be constructed about 9m in depth and with 2m width by
5 m length. It can be made of concrete being poured at the site. The chamber can be located
immediately next to the primary tank for the storage of stormwater
(urbanwater.melbourne.vic.gov.au 2018).
The sedimentation tank helps in the collection of the sine particles of sand, sediment,
hydrocarbons and oil which otherwise might collect in the primary tank. Cleaning the
sedimentation tank is easier than cleaning the primary tank, and thus can be effective to
remove these pollutants from the water (Ghimire et al. 2014).
The sedimentation chamber can be drained after the collected sediments becomes more
than 2m deep to remove the sediments by using a suction loading mechanism.
Dual Tanks:
The dual tank system can be built 40.6 meters long, 25.6 meters wide and 4 meters high
(internal measurements). This can hold up to 5 million litters of storm water (with 4 million
in the primary tank and 1 million in the reuse tank). The structure can be built using concrete,
poured at the site (urbanwater.melbourne.vic.gov.au 2018).
The system of dual tanks forms a large oblong structure underground, that consists of a
dividing wall erected internally, separating the structure into two storage compartments, the
primary tank and the reuse tank. The dual tank system ensured that the flow of stormwater
into the primary storage tank is not restricted by the cleaning rate of the biofiltration bed.
Thus during heavy rains, the primary storage can be filled with a large volume of stormwater,

18Storm water Harvesting
which can gradually be filtered through the biofilter. Furthermore, designing the secondary
chamber according to the irrigation needs of the park instead of the peak flow of stormwater
also helped to limit the cost of the tank. Modular plastic tanks can also be used for the tanks,
however for the Fitzroy Gardens; reinforced concrete was used to provide structural stability,
and enable access by trucks. The location and the size of the tanks in the garden were chiefly
dependant on the presence and locations of buildings on the heritage list, which needed a
buffer zone around it, from the construction activities (Sample and Liu 2014; Okoye et al.
2015).
Maintenance of the tanks can be done by a) isolating all inflow and outflow annually and
assessing the levels of water (dip stick can be used for this purpose), done 4 times in 48 hours
to ensure there is no leakage, no draw down and also help to verify and calibrate the sensor
readings. b) Draining the tanks every 5 years in order to remove debri9s and sludge from the
pits through vacuum loading mechanism. c) Draining the tanks every 50 years to access the
tank chamber to remove debris and sludge and also to clean the wall and floor areas of the
tank using low pressure cleaning (urbanwater.melbourne.vic.gov.au 2018).
Biofiltration Bed:
For the biofiltration beds, Biofilter System can be used. The size of the biofilter bed in the
Fitzroy Garden was 241 sq meters; however the overall size should depend on the water
filtration needs of each project, which are to be independently calculated. The bed can be
maintained by replacing the top layer of the substrate using a suction hose once every year...
The filter can help to remove nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus from the water
(urbanwater.melbourne.vic.gov.au 2018).
In the Fitzroy Gardens, the biofiltration bed was made up of a filtration layer made of
sand, a transition layer and a drainage layer. The biofiltration bed was also enclosed within a

19Storm water Harvesting
1m wall surrounding the bed to retain the water. Water from the primary storage tank is
allowed to flood the biofiltration bed (urbanwater.melbourne.vic.gov.au 2018).
The detention time of the water is used to determine the flooding and resting cycle of the
biofilter, and is also determined by the hydraulic conductivity of the filtration media. The
time for the cycle is set beforehand and monitored/adjusted with time as the medium of the
filter slowly gets clogged and increases the detention time of the water. Conductivity of the
tank can be renewed when the top layer of the filter media is replaced every year. The water
from the biofilter tank naturally drains to the secondary tank through the layers of gravel,
under the influence of gravity, and thereafter stored for future use in irrigation (Chandrasena
et al. 2016; Payne et al. 2015; Randelovic et al. 2016).
For the filtration process at Fitzroy Gardens, a wetland system was also considered,
however it was identified that bioretention can give better treatment capacity and also cause
less carbon footprint of the site, due to which wetland system was not used
(urbanwater.melbourne.vic.gov.au 2018)..
Plants:
Plant species used in the Fitzroy project were: Juncus gregiflorus and Juncus procerus
(Villagrán-Mella et al. 2005).
Wetland plants were planted on the top layer of the biofilter. These plants were pre-grown
and transplanted in large block format to ensure they are established quickly and ensure good
quality water from the first month. Every year, while replenishing the filter medium, the
vigour of the grasses is improved by cutting them back. The clumping growth pattern of
Juncus provide an easy access way to the suction hose that is needed to replenish the biofilter
top layer (Buhmann et al. 2013). The plant is also very hardy, due to which it can survive the
disturbances during the process.

20Storm water Harvesting
Pumps:
For the treatment system, 2 Gundfos submersible, heavy duty pumps are used placed in a
580mm deep sump pit at the bottom of the primary tank of storage. Untreated stormwater is
transported from the primary tank to the biofilter bed at the surface through a rising main.
Each pump can transport 40 litters of water every second (urbanwater.melbourne.vic.gov.au
2018).
For the irrigation system, irrigation pumps can be used made up of three primary vertical
multi storage submersible bore pump and a single jockey vertical multi stage submersible
bore pump. The four pumps can be placed in the sump in the secondary tank of storage of
stormwater. These pumps can be used to transfer treated water from the secondary chamber
to the main irrigation ring, passing through the UV filtration system. The pumps can be
maintained a s constant pressures of 900kPa. Water for toilet flushing at the visitor centre can
also be supplied through the jokey pump (urbanwater.melbourne.vic.gov.au 2018).
For maintenance of the pumps, and pumping systems, the operational panels and the
mumps should be checked every month for proper operational performance. Every 5 years (or
3000 hours of use), the pumps needs to be raised and removed to be sent to servicing
workshops (urbanwater.melbourne.vic.gov.au 2018). Additionally, every year, several
activities are to be performed to ensure proper working of the pumps:
 Checking for external signs of wear and corrosion
 Checking the insulation resistance of the motor
 Checking the current draw of the motor
 Checking bearing noise of the pump
 Oil seal to be inspected and replaced in needed
 Checking all cables for signs of damage

21Storm water Harvesting
 Checking the inlets of the pump and removing any debris collected
(Parkerpumps.com.au 2018).
UV Filters:
The type of UV filtration system used by the Fitzroy Garden was Xylem Wedeco model
LBX-200-U on line series which had an automatic wiping system and a 3 phase
ballast/control panel (Jordan et al. 2008).
Irrigation System:
An automated irrigation system is used in the Fitzroy Garden project, which distributes
the treated stormwater from the harvesting system through a big main ring, set around the
garden. The ring also received drinking water to supplement the water supplied by the
Stormwater harvester. Sensors are also used in the tank to monitor the water levels, and
during low rainfall (when less stormwater is treated by the harvesting system) the schedules
for watering can be lowered to ensure availability of the alternative source of water
(urbanwater.melbourne.vic.gov.au 2018).
Constraint if any
Several challenges and constraints were faced in the design of the project. These included:
a) Soil management and services: The long urbanization history of the land under
Melbourne Municipality has made soil contamination a major concern for projects, especially
those which can involve significant excavation of the soil (Laidlaw et al. 2018). A significant
challenge was posed by the presence of contaminated soil at the side and by the EPA
guidelines that prevents the removal of the contaminated soil during the construction. This
was a significant constraint on the costs since the soil had to be reburied around the storage
tanks in specially designed casings. b) Considerations on the heritage of the site: The heritage

22Storm water Harvesting
status of the Fitzroy Gardens was another important consideration during the design and
construction of the project, which ultimately influenced the tank size, the landscaping that
can be done as well as the types of structures that can be constructed or destroyed to complete
the project. Approval from heritage boards therefore was a time consuming process, which
involved a lot of considerations. c) Working in Open Public Spaces: Since open public places
are important asset in any community since they can allow various types of recreational
activities for the people in the area, it was important to ensure the least impact of the project
on the existing as well as future use of the open spaces which can be integrated into the
existing landscape of the place. The availability of open spaces therefore significantly
impacted the type and the size of the overall project (Walsh et al. 2016;
urbanwater.melbourne.vic.gov.au 2018).
During the testing phase of the projects two particular challenges faced by the Fitzroy
Garden project included the formation of algae crust and due to high levels of salinity in
water:
1. The algae crust formed on top of the filtration medium of the biofiltration bed due
to the frequent flooding of the bed. Even though algae help in the process of
naturally cleaning the water, the algae crust actually reduced the filtration rate of
the biofilter by blocking the filter, making the layer less pervious to it. This
problem was averted by mixing the fine sandy soil at the top layer of the filter
media with large pea gravel. This allowed water to flow more easily, and the large
gravel prevented the formation of the algae crust
(urbanwater.melbourne.vic.gov.au 2018).
2. High levels of salinity in the water were measured when the water was diverted
into the system, which made the water unusable for irrigation purposes. To
address this problem, both the tanks were flushed and allowed to refill naturally.

23Storm water Harvesting
Also, gypsum was used in the biofilter to reduce the effect of any sodium
remaining in the system. This helped to reduce the salinity level of the water and
also showed that it was a one-off incident possibly caused by some debris in the
stormwater drain (urbanwater.melbourne.vic.gov.au 2018).
Conclusion
Over the year’s o0f human history, our use of fresh and clean water has increased
with the development of our civilization. This have significantly stressed the limited reserves
of fresh water, which accounts for only a tiny fraction of the total water content on this
planet. Moreover, anthropogenic activities have also resulted in much of the freshwater
reserves rendered unusable due to eutrophication or pollution. To support the ever growing
need of freshwater, in urban areas; it can be useful to have methods to reuse water in a
sustainable way. Harvesting stormwater is a significant strategy, which allows runoffs from
various manmade structures, typical of urban places (and mostly impervious surfaces) as
catchments to collect the water and then stored and treated for reuse. This provides a dual
advantage of supplementing a source of freshwater, which can be used for irrigation, cattle
rearing and even public use (if treated properly) and also help to protect the region from the
adverse effects of stormwater runoffs (such as flash floods). The Fitzroy gardens in
Melbourne are a heritage site, and have recently constructed a stormwater harvesting project
to supplement the region and the garden with clean water. It utilized a system of catchment of
water to be diverted to the drains and stored in tanks after a primary screening. The screened
water is then subjected to sedimentation and then passed thorough biofilter beds and finally
transferred to another tank. This water is then ready to be used in the gardens, and also for
public use, after been UV treated. The project provides a reliable blueprint to be followed in
the construction of a new Stormwater Harvesting system. Moreover, the insights gained from
the projects, and through the challenges faced by the project designers and implementers can

24Storm water Harvesting
also be helpful to be prepared or even avoid such challenges. This study therefore
recommends the strategies and activities undertaken by the Fitzroy Gardens to set up the
stormwater harvesting system.
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