Posts Tagged ‘water’
Living Rivers: Funding for council WSUD projects
Posted in Movements, Seeking by Kate Archdeacon on February 2nd, 2012
Living Rivers is a Melbourne Water program offering tailored packages of technical and funding support for the implementation of strategic and structural water-sensitive urban design (WSUD) projects. They have recently developed fact sheets detailing the program aims, funding packages and frequently asked questions. Living Rivers works in partnership with 38 local councils across Melbourne to increase council’s capacity to deliver sustainable stormwater management outcomes. They are a proud supporter of the Clearwater program and we work closely together to develop and deliver complimentary council capacity building initiatives to accelerate the uptake of WSUD.
Click here to view Living Rivers Fact Sheets which have details such as FAQs, various funding packages, and Program contacts.
—
The Tankulator: Rain Harvesting Calculator
Posted in Models, Research by Kate Archdeacon on October 28th, 2011
The Tankulator is a free online rain harvesting calculator that can help you plan for a new rainwater tank or improve the performance of an existing tank.
The Tankulator has been developed by the Alternative Technology Association, Australia’s leading not-for-profit organisation promoting sustainable solutions for the home. Click on the Get Started button, fill out the online questionnaire then click on the Get Tankulating button. An interactive graph will appear that will display your calculations.
Once the calculation is complete, you can compare different scenarios to find the best match for your circumstances. Will you run out of rainwater in a dry year if you live in Canberra and plumb a 10,000 litre tank to your toilet and laundry?
Buying a rainwater tank?
- Tank Materials: Compare the cost, environmental impact, life span and other specs of different types of tank materials. Hear what ATA members say about the tanks they have chosen.
- Tank Siting and Installation: What will fit on your property and where to put it? Pros and cons of different approaches to placement and installation of your tanks.
- Tank Filtration: What kind of filtration do you need on your system? What degree of maintenance are you willing to undertake?
- Pumps: Most rainwater systems will need a pump; what do you need to know? Also, pumps can use a lot of energy but there are ways to design your pumping system to reduce energy use.
Visit the Tankulator website to find out more.
—
A free online seminar on rainwater harvesting and greywater will be held by the ATA on Tuesday, November 8 at 11am. Visit http://www.ata.org.au/news/rainwater-and-greywater-webinar/ for more details.
—
Drinking Water: New service models in Melbourne
Posted in Movements by Kate Archdeacon on October 13th, 2011
Photo by Harry Troedel
Article by Kate Archdeacon:
Last week the Southbank Campus of the Victorian College of the Arts stopped selling bottled water through its vending machines, bars and cafés, with the support of staff, students, commercial tenants and Sharyn Lowe from Do Something! Water is now available through public water fountains (Aquabubblers) across the campus, as well as in the ReSauce café on site. Harry Troedel, Sustainability Manager, Implementation, at the University of Melbourne, explained that including the café tenants in discussions about the move away from bottled water allowed them to make decisions about the services they could offer instead. As a result, ReSauce now owns and operates a Freshie water vending machine. Patrons can refill their bottles from the machine, with prices varying depending on what type of water they buy. The choices range from chilled, filtered, sparkling, and flavoured water, with prices coming out at considerably less than a single-use bottle. The water from the Aquabubblers is the same quality and temperature as tap water, so the café has an opportunity to provide a point of difference.
As part of the initiative launch, Vestal Water gave away some of their stainless steel water bottles. Vestal Water are developing new services around water supply – they have a V.I.P. card which allows the bearer to refill their water bottle for free at participating outlets (cafes, service stations etc) on purchase of a hot drink, and they are developing a refill station map to support this promotion. Mr. Troedel says that Hairy Little Sista, the bar at Council House 2 (CH2) has replaced their bottled water with a Vestal Water system.
Shifting water consumption away from throwaway packaging while still providing quality products has been proposed as a great product-service-system in many student designs we’ve seen at VEIL. It’s great to see some real-world examples emerging in Melbourne.
—
Water-Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) Tour – Stonnington & Port Phillip
Posted in Events, Movements by Kate Archdeacon on September 28th, 2011
| 14 October , 2011 | ||
| 8:50 am | to | 1:30 pm |
Source: Clearwater
Clearwater’s latest tour highlights an array of WSUD stormwater treatment measures and harvesting systems across the City of Stonnington & Port Phillip.
Council experts and design consultants will be onsite to provide insights into the development and management of each project, discussing challenges, learnings and outcomes from concept to completion. This tour will visit tree pits, raingardens in both commercial and residential areas, stormwater harvest systems designed for open space irrigation and vehicle washdown sites. You will gain an insight into project goals, costs, engineering, landscaping and maintenance considerations and community engagement. The tour will include visits to 7 sites; morning tea; sit down networking lunch. Suitable for anyone involved in sustainable water planning or asset maintenance / design, including developers, planners, architects, environment and maintenance staff.
8:50AM – 1:30PM, Friday 14th October 2011
Meeting point to be advised upon booking your place.
—
The City of Port Phillip Water Plan is a great example of a municipal strategy, that sets long term integrated water management targets and promotes a water sensitive approach to urban water management. The plan sets considerable targets for reduction in council and community mains water consumption, and promotes the substitution of mains supply with alternative water sources where appropriate. Pollution reduction targets are set to be achieved through an increase in water sensitive urban design (WSUD) projects in road, drainage, and streetscape works.
The City of Port Phillip Water Plan recently won the 2011 Stormwater Victoria Excellence Awards in the category of Research, Innovation, Policy and Education.
Read more about the City of Port Phillip Water Plan.
—
“Don’t Frack The Earth” film and discussion evening
Posted in Events by TransitionTownPortPhillip on September 23rd, 2011
| 27 September , 2011 | ||
| 7:00 pm | to | 8:30 pm |
The Port Phillip EcoCentre, in collaboration with Transition Town Port Phillip & L.I.V.E (Locals Into Victoria’s Environment), is hosting a film & discussion evening, about the risks of coal seam gas mining, currently proposed for Victoria.
The technique, hydraulic fracturing – otherwise known as “fracking” – seriously risks permanent contamination of the water table, land surface, plant & animal health as well as human health.
Join us for the screening of the ABC doco and part of “Gasland”, get informed, enjoy some hearty discussion & a bite to eat.
Tuesday 27 September, 7-8.30pm
Port Phillip EcoCentre 55a Blessington St, St Kilda Free event, bookings & more info please call 9534 0670 —10,000 Raingardens Program: Add yours to the list
Posted in Movements, Research by Kate Archdeacon on September 20th, 2011
Melbourne Water’s 10,000 Raingardens Program promotes a new, responsible way of gardening so everybody can create their own water sensitive garden and do their bit to help the environment and protect our rivers and creeks.
The aim of the program is to show you how easy it is to create a water efficient garden in your own backyard. By building a raingarden you will enjoy the benefits of a self watering, low maintenance garden while also contributing to healthier waterways by reducing the amount of pollutants that would otherwise wash into our rivers and creeks. Until now we have been working with local councils and the community to create raingardens in public spaces such as streets, parks and schools. The program has recently expanded and we are now providing easy, step by step instructions so people can design, build and maintain raingardens in their own homes. Our target is to see 10,000 raingardens built across Melbourne by 2013. To achieve this we need your help.
>>Find out what a raingarden is, why you should build a raingarden and how to build one. (And then add yours to the Map!)
http://raingardens.melbournewater.com.au/
—
Urban stormwater: Public nuisance or precious resource?
Posted in Events, Research by land-environment on September 12th, 2011
| 21 September , 2011 | ||
| 5:30 pm | to | 7:30 pm |
Speaker: Associate Professor Tim Fletcher
Urbanisation results in major disturbance to the water cycle, with infiltration and evapotranspiration greatly reduced and the volume and rate of runoff greatly increased. Resulting pollution and degradation of receiving waters is one of the major threats to waterways in Australia and around the world. At the same time, water shortages in cities have resulted in stormwater being considered seriously for the first time as an alternative water resource. This presentation will focus on a new approach, which aims to retain and use stormwater within the catchment, rehydrating urban landscapes, and protecting receiving waters from degradation. It will present as a case study the innovative long-term catchment-scale experiment – the Little Stringybark Creek Project – discussing social, economic and technical lessons for stormwater management.
To register, please visit: http://www.land-environment.unimelb.edu.au/deanslectures/fletcher/
Wednesday 21st September
Time: 5.30pm
Location: Lower Theatre, Melbourne School of Land and Environment building, University of Melbourne
—
Australian Stormwater Harvesting Guidelines
Posted in Movements, Research by Kate Archdeacon on August 22nd, 2011
Source: Clearwater
Are you undertaking a stormwater harvesting project or water augmentation project that requires you to consider water treatment?
Clearwater has prepared a simple diagram to help you familiarise yourself with the relevant national guidelines available on our website. There are no specific laws that dictate what stormwater can be used for or what quality standards stormwater must meet, however responsible parties have a duty of care to make sure their scheme will not place people or the environment at risk. Guidance on how to meet duty of care is provided in the Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling: Stormwater Harvest and Reuse (Phase 2). The Australian Guidelines provide guidance on water standards for various reuse and recycling scenarios, and were prepared in two phases.
Phase 1 – Managing Health and Environmental Risks (2006) which provides a framework for the management of recycled water. Phase 2 – A set of three guidelines providing more detail on:
- 1. Augmentation of Drinking Water Supplies (2008)
- 2. Managed Aquifer Recharge (2009)
- 3. Stormwater Harvesting and Reuse (2009)
Underpinning the Water Recycling Guidelines are the 2004 Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (currently being reviewed). This document provides the water supply industry with guidance on what constitutes good drinking water quality and are referred to both phases of the Australian Guidelines for Water recycling.
http://www.clearwater.asn.au/content/relevant-national-guidelines-stormwater-harvesting
—
Mineral Water in Eco-Kegs, Delivered by Bike
Posted in Models by Kate Archdeacon on August 11th, 2011
Source: Broadsheet
Image courtesy dhmsco
From “Kegs, Bikes and Bubbles: dhmsco’s Mineral Water Revolution” by Hilary McNevin:
We got to thinking about the environmental impact of buying imported mineral water in glass bottles and found a company with a bright idea and a three-wheeled bike. A keg of mineral water built into a Danish Christiania three-wheeler bike – it’s pimped, it’s got a brolly, it’s looking good and it’s coming to a market, café or restaurant near you.
The Daylesford and Hepburn Mineral Springs Company (dhmsco) have taken a simple and very logical idea and are literally taking it to the streets. Founders and directors of dhmsco, Mitch Watson and Brylie Rankine have been selling their mineral water, which is sourced from the Daylesford spring naturally carbonated, to their customers in customary bottles, but have now taken the next step of providing restaurants and cafes mineral water in recyclable eco-kegs.
[...]
The beauty of serving water through a reticulation system such as a keg is that, while cutting down packaging to a minimum, it also eases the costs and environmental impacts of travel and shipping. The water can be sold by the glass or bottle in the restaurant and the bottles Watson supplies to the restaurants are made in Spotswood, Melbourne, rather than being manufactured overseas and shipped to Australia.
The next step is to make more Melburnians aware of the quality of dhmsco’s mineral water and the notion of the mineral water keg, which is delivered on via the keg bike.
[...]
Restaurants in Melbourne to have dhmsco mineral water on tap so far include, Little Creatures, Dandelion, The Corner Shop and Ladro. Watson is also in the process of developing syrups to add to the water in classic flavours such as cucumber, hawthorn, elderflower, natural tonic and rosehip (he’s also working on a nettle syrup but acknowledges it’s not quite ready to go).
There is the opportunity to check out the dhmsco keg bike, taste the water and the syrups at the Melbourne farmers markets (mfm.com.au) each Saturday from mid-August at its various locations. “We want people to try the syrups and tell us what they think,” explains Watson. “We’re doing research.”
Read the full article by Hilary McNevin on Broadsheet.
—-
Water Sensitive Cities Study Tour: Applications Open
Posted in Research, Seeking by Kate Archdeacon on July 15th, 2011
The Study Tour is an excellent opportunity to develop your leadership skills, learn about water sensitive cities, see what change looks like on the ground, and develop networks within Australia and overseas.
This is the third time such a tour has been run. The first tour travelled to North America in 2005, the second tour travelled to Europe in 2009. Participants came from water authorities, local governments, environmental NGOs, consultants and academia and represented Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and New Zealand. The tour group will be made up of young professionals from across Australia who will:
- Travel to another Australian city to review innovative approaches to water
- Report to the WSUD12 conference in February 2012 on ideas and successes within Australia
- Travel overseas to further seek examples of cutting edge of sustainable cities.
- Report back and engage with decision makers to progress your ideas
Who should apply
Although it is an industry based study tour, it is open to young leaders who are passionate about water, cities, and making a difference. This means anyone from engineers, scientists, landscape architects, social scientists to policy advisors, urban planners, designers, ecologists, and chemists.
Costs
Approximately $10,000 (excl GST) is required. This is expected to cover the initial trip within Australian, and overseas trip, and the evaluation and reporting costs and conference registration fees for WSUD 2012.
The benefits
The benefits are huge: personal development, exposure to some of the best thinking in urban water management, ability to manage teams, engagement with key influencers within Australia, and the opportunity to go through an experiential learning approach.
Key Dates
- 15 August, 2011 – Applications close
- 6 September, 2011 – Successful applicants attend a group briefing and planning session in Melbourne
Visit the website or download the flyer for more information.
—