Stormwater harvesting, storage, and treatment are increasingly recognised as essential components of sustainable water management. Together, these processes offer significant value by capturing, storing, and improving the quality of stormwater, driving their adoption across municipal, industrial, and agricultural projects due to multiple key drivers and benefits.
Key driver #1 –Water security and drought resilience
Prolonged droughts (such as the millennium drought in Australia) have pushed cities to diversify their water sources. Capturing runoff provides a local, reliable water supply for non-potable uses, easing demand on mains drinking water systems during dry periods. This improves resilience against climate change and water scarcity.
Case study: Melbourne Airport Stormwater Harvesting, VIC
Aquatec partnered with John Holland, Spiire, Melbourne Airport, and City West Water (now part of Greater Western Water) as the technology supplier for the Melbourne Airport Airport Drive Extension and Steele Creek North Stormwater Enhancement.
In line with the project scope we designed, supplied, manufactured, delivered, and commissioned the stormwater harvesting pump system, which included:
- raw water pump station capturing stormwater inflows from Steeles Creek.
- packaged treatment plant to filter and sterilise stormwater by a US EPA-approved UV unit to a clearwater storage tank.
- stored water continuously recirculated and dosed, then pumped on demand via boosting pumps.
The water that is captured and treated is used by the Essendon Football Club for cooling towers, toilet flushing, car wash facilities and irrigation purposes.
Key driver #2 – Potable water savings and cost benefits
Reusing stormwater for irrigation, industrial processes, or toilet flushing directly reduces the consumption of potable water. This can result in significant cost savings for councils, industries, or farmers by reducing water purchase costs. Such savings make projects economically attractive in the long run.
Case study: Balmoral Park Stormwater Harvesting, VIC
Aquatec’s scope of works included delivery, mechanical and electrical installation, and commissioning of a stormwater harvesting system comprising:
- 2 x offtake pump stations
- pump station 1 – incorporates 2 x submersible pumps, plumbed in 150mm 316 SS pipework inside a 2250mm ø x 4540mm deep mould-formed heavy-duty reinforced concrete pumping chamber
- pump station 2 – incorporates 1 x submersible pump, plumbed in 200mm 316 SS pipework inside a 2250mm ø x 6040mm deep mould-formed heavy-duty reinforced concrete pumping chamber
- 1 x pole-mounted switchboard with all required operation, starting and protection equipment housed in a lockable weatherproof stainless steel cabinet
The Balmoral Park Stormwater Harvesting Project is a collaborative initiative between Brimbank City Council, City West Water, and Melbourne Water, located in Derrimut. It involves constructing a system to collect and reuse stormwater for irrigation purposes, primarily to irrigate two local sports ovals at Balmoral Park Reserve, with potential to expand to Derrimut Primary School’s sports oval. The project will capture and reuse around 15 to 20 million litres of stormwater annually, significantly reducing reliance on drinking water for irrigation and helping conserve water resources.
Key driver #3 – Regulatory and sustainability drivers
Many authorities now encourage or mandate stormwater reuse in new developments to meet sustainability targets. The recognition that billions of litres of stormwater runoff go unused, often exceeding a city’s total water use, is driving policies to capture and reuse this excess runoff. Using stormwater also aligns with climate adaptation and circular economy goals by making better use of local resources.
Case study: Smiths Lane Stormwater Treatment Storage, VIC
Designing an effective stormwater system requires interdisciplinary teamwork across hydraulics, mechanical and electrical disciplines. The first output of this collaborative process is our detailed drawings that provide our clients with an understanding of water sources, points of contact, and intended uses, ensuring transparency and informed decision-making throughout the project.
Working with our client, Mirvac, we designed, supplied and commissioned a turnkey, tailor-made water treatment plant to provide 15L/s net continuous treated water flow rate, for the masterplanned community in Clyde North.
The water intended for treatment is sourced from wetlands located within the development and complies with standard stormwater reuse parameters. The solution comprised:
- 1 x raw water feed pump package connected to a fibreglass suction chamber 1.5m ø x 3m deep
- filtration and treatment system
- 2 x 275,000 litre above-ground, colourbond steel water storage tanks (~12.5mØ x 2.5m high each)
- 1 x irrigation pump system with 2 x vertical multistage pressure pumps, each capable of delivering ~18L/s @ 60m TDH
- 1 x plant shed
The Smiths Lane project was driven by mandatory regulatory requirements under Victorian Water and Planning policies focused on sustainability, environmental protection, and flood resilience, supported by Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) best practices to manage stormwater treatment and distribution. WSUD emphasises the integration of stormwater treatment with urban development, reducing runoff peaks, improving water quality, conserving water, and enhancing environmental and community values.
Some of the emerging trends in stormwater harvesting, treatment, and storage in Australia and beyond highlight a strong focus on sustainability, technological innovation, and integrated water management. Key trends include:
- Smart Technologies and Real-Time Monitoring – Cities like Melbourne are pioneering stormwater sensing projects that utilise advanced sensors (e.g., water pressure, debris detection, and sludge levels) to monitor stormwater drainage systems in real-time.
- Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) – WSUD remains a core strategy, promoting green infrastructure such as rain gardens, bioswales, and distributed flood storage to treat stormwater at its source.
- Global Regulatory Alignment – new European directives (e.g., Directive (EU) 2024/3019) emphasise urban wastewater treatment enhancements, energy efficiency, pollutant reduction, including micro-pollutants, and integrated urban wastewater management plans, reflecting a global emphasis on environmental protection and circular economy principles.
Reach out to Justin Gatt, Aquatec’s Design Lead and Carlos Moreno, Aquatec’s Senior Process Engineer, with any questions on stormwater systems.
