Water

In October 2015, the City of Canada Bay officially opened the Cintra Watershed, securing water for the future of our community, open space and recreational areas. The Cintra Watershed is the water treatment plant delivered as part of the Award winning stormwater harvesting - Water for our Community project. 

Key project objectives were:

• Providing water security for the highest volume end use in the City of Canada Bay Community and Council open space facilities.

• Securing and enhancing the quality and amenity of grounds, in particular during periods of water restrictions.

• Reducing drinking water consumption.

• Reducing the heat island effect

The stormwater harvesting project supplies water to two golf courses and 15 playing fields. Adequate treated water storage at each park and golf course ensures each site's daily irrigation needs are met. 

How much water has been saved so far?

In the first year of operation we have harvested over 250,000,000L of stormwater for irrigation, way beyond our initial savings estimates.

Our two golf courses at Massey Park and Barnwell Park have reduced their drinking water consumption by a massive 84 per cent compared to the same time last year. 

Funding for the project 

The Water for our Community project has been made possible thanks to a $1.89 million dollar grant from the Australian Government's National Urban Water and Desalination Plan, funding from the NSW Government's Climate Fund as well as Council funding.

What are the benefits?

The project dramatically reduces Council's demand on drinking water supplies, whilst demonstrating Council's commitment to sustainable projects. By ensuring Council has a sustainable alternative water supply we are ensuring the playing fields will be able to be kept in optimal condition even in times of drought.

The City of Canada Bay is continually investigating and looking for funding opportunities to secure a long-term supply of water to meet the irrigation demands of our community open space recreational areas.

Fact sheet

The City of Canada Bay installed a weather station in St Lukes Park, Concord to help save water and energy. The information recorded by this weather station is communicated to a central computer, which can then controls when and how the playing fields are irrigated.

The system has the ability to turn off sprinklers and lighting when it is or has been raining. In 2009 Council expanded this system to all sports fields in the City of Canada Bay area.

How much water is saved?

It is estimated that the weather station and the smart water and energy management system allows a 15-20 per cent saving on the amount of water used for irrigation and energy used for lighting.

What did the project cost?

The City of Canada Bay was awarded $50,000 funding for the project from the Australian Governments Community Water Grant Program. Council provided additional funding to successfully complete the pilot project.

Council was also awarded $220,950 from the NSW Government Public Facilities Program for the expansion of the project in 2009.

What are the benefits?

The weather stations for this irrigation project demonstrates how technology and weather conditions can be combined to achieve better management of irrigation and water use at City of Canada Bay's parks and ovals.

During 2009/2010 Council expanded this pilot project to 17 sports grounds to save more water and also control sports field lighting to achieve energy savings.

More information

For more information refer to the Smart Irrigation and Lighting Management Fact Sheet

The Catchment to Cove - Stormwater and Biodiversity Initiative aims to improve conditions for fragile ecosystems that exist along Sisters and Half Moon Bays in Drummoyne. 

Along Sisters and Half Moon Bays, endangered ecological communities of salt marsh exist and by reducing the amount of pollutants reaching these bays, improves the conditions for the rehabilitation of this vegetation whilst also improving the health of the waterway.

The City of Canada Bay has installed Gross Pollutant Traps (GPTs), stormwater quality improvement devices and completed bush regeneration in the Drummoyne area. These measures have been undertaken in an attempt to improve the biodiversity and stormwater quality of the catchment leading to Iron Cove. The project was completed in 2008.

How many pollutants are removed?

It is estimated that up to eight tonnes of pollutants such as leaves, sediment and litter can be collected from stormwater each year by the two Gross Pollutants Traps, preventing the pollutants from reaching the foreshore and waterways of Iron Cove. The bush regeneration included planting of over 2000 native plants in Brett Park, which has reduced the amount of overland flow that would normally enter the bay.

What did the project cost?

The City of Canada Bay was awarded $220,000 funding for the project from the Sydney Metropolitan Catchment Management Authority - Waterway Health Strategy. This funding allowed for the installation of two Gross Pollutant Traps, sixteen stormwater quality improvement devices and 2100 native plants for bush regeneration in Brett Park.

What are the benefits?

The Iron Cove 'Catchment to Cove' Stormwater and Biodiversity Initiative encourages awareness of the community to learn how the water and pollutants from their catchment affect habitats and waterways downstream. A project sign erected in Brett Park, provides passers by with information on their catchment and the objectives of the project.

More information

For more information refer to the Catchment to Cove Project Fact Sheet

The City of Canada Bay is helping the environment by reusing stormwater and rainwater while protecting the Parramatta River with Water Sensitive Urban Design. The Drummoyne Oval precinct upgrade incorporated elements of integrated water cycle management, including rainwater and stormwater reuse and raingardens. 

Stormwater run-off from roads and rooftops surrounding Drummoyne Oval is captured, filtered and treated, then stored in two 250,000 litre tanks. It is then used to irrigate Drummoyne Oval and the adjacent playing fields. Rainwater collected off the roofs of both the community building and the pavilion is used for toilet flushing.

Additionally, surface run off water from the carpark and surrounding area is diverted into vegetated swales and a rain garden to filter out pollutants before it reaches the Parramatta River.

How much water is saved?

By reusing the stormwater for irrigation of the oval and fields, over nine million litres of drinking water is saved each year. Reusing the roofwater for toilet flushing is saving over 200,000 litres of drinking water each year.

What did the project cost?

The project was completed in 2010 and was part of a larger project to upgrade the Drummoyne Oval facilities, which was funded under the Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program (RLCIP). The stormwater harvesting, rainwater reuse and water sensitive design aspects of the project cost $514,000 to implement.  

What are the benefits?

Additional to the significant water savings this project achieves, the raingarden and vegetated swales reduce the amount of suspended solids by 98 per cent, total phosphorus by 73 per cent and total nitrogen by 54 per cent, from reaching the waterways of the Parramatta River.  

The integrated water management project at Drummoyne Oval reduces Council's demand on drinking water supplies, but also reduces the amount of stormwater and pollutants entering the waterways.