Managing Queensland's water

摘要

Integrated water management (IWM), until now mainly used in small communities, is being taken up on a large scale by the Gold Coast city council in Queensland, Australia, which is proposing to apply these principles to a new urban development expected to grow from 5000 people to around 150,000 over the next 30 to 50 years. Water management will be a key feature of the development. The Pimpana-Coomera Water Futures project homes will be fitted with rainwater tanks, water-saving devices and dual reticulation systems, allowing recycled water to be used on gardens and in toilets. They will also be connected to 'smart' sewers. Nick Apostolidis, water business leader for consultancy GHD, presented the plan at the recent Efficient 2003 IWA conference in Tenerife, Spain. Studies by GHD, which is helping Gold Coast City Council with the project, have found that IWM offers significant opportunities to reduce the ecological footprint of new and existing developments. Contrary to popular perception, he says, adopting IWM need not cost more, if good planning enables it to be applied at the start of new urban developments.