Stormwater harvesting for Cronulla Park
In an environmental first for the Shire, Sutherland Shire Council is installing a major stormwater harvesting and reuse system in Cronulla Park, Cronulla that will see stormwater harvested from the public drainage network, treated and used for irrigation—providing a greener future for the park in more ways than one.
Work on the project is all but complete and the occupied parking spaces in the Gerrale Street carpark have now been returned to public use. All that remains before the project is complete is testing and commissioning by the contractor.
The majority of the stormwater system has been installed underground, so the park has been restored to its original condition. The project was also started in the winter months to minimise disruptions to beach and park users.
Water restrictions and Australia's naturally dry climate have contributed to thirstier lawns in Cronulla Park in recent years. Increasing community concern about the drought and climate change has also highlighted the need to manage water resources more sustainably.
Stormwater harvesting involves the collection, treatment, storage and use of stormwater runoff and provides an ideal solution to making better use of water in an urban environment like Cronulla.
The stormwater harvesting system at South Cronulla will not only help maintain the turf in the park but will reduce demand on mains water and diminish the volume of stormwater and pollution entering the ocean.
The project will make use of council's road drainage system upstream of Cronulla Park, with primary treatment consisting of a conventional Gross Pollutant Trap (GPT) which will be installed near the pedestrian crossing in the middle of the Gerrale Street car park. Already used successfully throughout the Shire to improve stormwater quality, the GPT will remove larger pollutants like litter and sediment.
From the GPT, the water will undergo secondary treatment involving the use of fine sand and activated carbon filters to remove suspended solids, oil and hydrocarbons. The final tertiary treatment uses UV radiation to remove any bacteria, E. coli or viruses.
Installation of a 300,000L underground tank beneath the park will provide ample storage capacity for large volumes of water during periods of low rainfall. When needed, the water will move into an existing smaller tank where the treated water will be used for irrigation and potentially for flushing toilets in nearby public facilities in the future.
Above images: Cronulla Park stormwater harvesting and reuse system.