City West Water: 2020 Winner – Government
Stormwater Harvesting for a Greener West
Through increasing accessibility to stormwater for public open spaces, greening the urban environment and improving liveability, City West Water's Stormwater Harvesting initiative offers a holistic approach to urban greening. The program established guidelines – that also act as a blueprint for future infrastructure – to encourage the introduction of innovative products including modular storage chambers and compact pumping kiosks.
As part of City West Water’s Integrated Water Management program, stormwater harvesting projects aim to deliver enhanced social and economic benefits to the community by keeping public parks, gardens and sporting fields green. Initiatives like Stormwater Harvesting and Recycled Water help improve the liveability and wellbeing of communities; benefitting the community and demonstrating responsible urban water management.
The program reduced water bills for customers by $26,000/year, provided alternative water for irrigation, improved waterway health and vegetation, and minimised flooding and erosion impact on the sites and further downstream.
City West Water additionally set up a delivery model that can be adopted by other water utilities seeking to partner with local governments in their service area.