Water Campaign™ case study

CITY OF NORWOOD PAYNEHAM & ST PETERS, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Grandstand demonstration: Water recovery and efficiency at Norwood Oval

: Community action

: Partnerships

: Water conservation

The City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters is located within Adelaide’s inner-east, with a population of 35,274. Council joined the Water Campaign™ in 2006.

Synopsis

The project enables the capture and storage of rainwater from the Norwood Oval grandstand, which is then used in the football club change rooms and adjacent public toilets for toilet flushing, bathing and hand washing. Water efficient devices were also installed in the change rooms to ensure the efficient use of rainwater.

: Norwood Oval and grandstand

Motivation

Council is committed to reducing water consumption across its operations and identified an opportunity to capture winter rainwater from the football club change rooms at Norwood Oval, a high water use site. With the car park at the oval being resurfaced, it was an opportune time to install some underground rainwater tanks.

Funding and partners

The Norwood Football Club (tenants of the oval) supported the project through the grounds staff who provided advice on water use devices and project management. The South Australian Department of Health provided advice about water quality requirements for the internal use of rainwater. The initiative was largely funded by the Australian Government’s Community Water Grants fund, with additional funding from Council.

Process

Council staff were responsible for overall project management, including the appointment of the plumber and purchase of the two new concrete tanks, which have a combined capacity of over 45 kilolitres.

Once completed, the project was promoted through a radio broadcast of a South Australian National Football League game played at Norwood Oval in April 2008. Regular articles were presented in the Council’s community newsletter, LookEast. A metal information sign stands near the entrance of the oval, detailing the project and the expected water savings.

Savings and benefits

Water conservation benefits

This initiative is expected to save 500 kilolitres each year, which is equivalent to 55 per cent of the total annual water consumption at the Norwood Oval complex.

Water quality benefits

Using this rainwater also reduces the amount of stormwater runoff and pollution, which will improve the quality of water entering the River Torrens.

Community leadership

The Norwood Football Club attracts up to 3000 people per game at the oval. With this project, Council is demonstrating leadership on rainwater capture and reuse on a large scale, which could be replicated for homes and businesses.

: The new concrete rainwater tanks

Costs and maintenance

The total cost of the project was $52,000.

The Norwood Football Club is responsible for undertaking a number of maintenance issues that are necessary to ensure the quality of the rainwater, these include:

changing the sediment filter at least annually
inspecting the gutters of the pavilion annually to ensure they are clean and do not contain ponded water
checking the access covers to ensure they are closed
inspecting the tanks every two–three years to remove accumulated sediment
checking inlets, overflows and other openings every six months
inspect and clean the roof of the pavilion annually (or as needed)
microbial testing of the rainwater twice in the first year and then annually.

Further information

City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters website

Sarah Wigley, Sustainability Planner
Ph +61 (0)8 8366 4512

Contact details

For further information about the ICLEI Water Campaign™ in Australia please contact:

ICLEI Oceania
5/267 Collins St
Melbourne Vic 3000
Ph:   +61 3 9639 8688
Fax:   +61 3 9639 8677
Email:   oceania@iclei.org
Website:   www.iclei.org/oceania/water

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Council staff for their assistance in producing this case study.

Photographs supplied by Council.

Quoted population figures are taken from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Report 3218.0, Regional Population Growth, Australia 2006-07, March 2008.

Call for future case studies

Does your council have an initiative that could be promoted by the Water Campaign™ as a future case study?

We’d like to hear if your council has implemented an innovative water saving initiative or project to improve water quality. Contact your Water Campaign State Manager with details.

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