Innovative decentralised designs and technologies to meet the changing needs of our cities

Innovative decentralised designs and technologies to meet the changing needs of our cities

Background
The approach
Outcomes
The partners

Background

South East Queensland covers some 22,000 kilometres, with cities, towns and smaller communities nestled among a number of diverse ecosystems, from mangrove and estuarine to mountain, forest and cultivated regions.

Being so widely dispersed, our planners face numerous challenges providing utilities like power, water and sewerage to every corner of our growing community.

Decentralised wastewater systems are seen as a cost-effective alternative approach to providing wastewater servicing in both urban and rural areas, particularly in small to mid-sized communities, new subdivisions, and environmentally sensitive areas.

These systems are self-contained, and are usually implemented in areas far from existing services.

Whilst there are numerous innovative demonstration and case study sites throughout Australia, current state and local regulations in SEQ do not readily allow implementation of decentralised systems, and monitoring requirements for these systems are onerous.

The approach

Clear, robust guidelines for the development, implementation and ongoing assessment of decentralised wastewater systems can provide greater alternatives to providing wastewater servicing in our urban and rural areas.

This project aims to utilise information and knowledge on design of systems and flows and contaminants in the urban water cycle to aid development of required frameworks and guidelines, so that future development in the South East QLD region can consider decentralised waste water systems as part of an Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM) plan.

Our team will also characterise flows and contaminants in different wastewaters from different development types and assess their impacts on collection, storage, treatment, distribution systems and end uses.

Outcomes

Initially focusing on implementing the system in high rise development, the project aims to provide:

• Data and information on water and contaminant flows in different development types
• An initial understanding of the impacts of flows and contaminants on the total water cycle
• Mitigation strategies for contaminant reduction/utilisation such as source control, treatment options and end use limitations
• The basis for guidelines and frameworks for decentralised wastewater system implementation

The partners

This project is a research partnership between CSIRO, University of QLD and the Department of Natural Resources and Water, QLD, with participation of a number of agencies and external collaborators, including BCC, EDAW, and the Environmental Protection Agency, QLD. We will utilise data and information from internal stakeholders, NRW and UQ, and external collaborators, Brisbane City Council, EDAW, and other case study sites in Australia.

Contact: Ashok Sharma
CSIRO Land and Water
PO Box 56, Highett, VIC  3190
Ph  +61 3 9252 6151, 
Fax  +61 3 9252 6288
Email: Ashok Sharma

Read about more of our research.