A technical decision-making framework: stormwater as an alternative supply source

Abstract

Stormwater harvesting is a relatively new concept which has developed using traditional stormwater management practices as well as water resourcing and holistic water management concepts. While stormwater harvesting systems have been designed and constructed in the past, the planning and design processes have not followed an integrated approach. This paper addresses this issue and describes a decision-making framework (DMF) that determines the most appropriate stormwater harvesting scheme option based primarily on technical feasibility and financial costs with a focus on neighbourhood-scale development. A case study of an existing urban area in the suburb of Sunshine in Melbourne, Australia, was conducted to demonstrate the DMF. Comparison of all stormwater harvesting scheme options determined that while one scheme option was the most effective option in terms of cost, reliability, quantity of stormwater used and end uses met, several other options could also be examined further for detailed analysis.

Keywords:

• stormwater management
• water reclamation
• decision-making
• water resources management
• water reuse
• stormwater harvesting

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank CSIRO Manufacturing and Infrastructure Technology and Victoria University for providing funding and support for this project.