Commitment to improving water efficiency and quality

The council's Water Management Local Action Plan 2005 provides the context for water management practices within the council and the Port Phillip community. This document has been guiding the council's work over the past years.

This plan will be updated to reflect our future direction and water management strategies and targets.

The Water Campaign is a program of the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI). The campaign is focused on encouraging and assisting councils to use water more efficiently and protect water quality. Through setting and meeting specific targets, councils and communities can clearly see the steps taken towards efficient water use and improved water quality. The City of Port Phillip joined the Water Campaign as one the initial five pilot councils across Australia.

City of Port Phillip has achieved the first three milestones for water conservation and water quality in corporate and community sectors. Achieving these milestones has involved establishing a base line of water use, identifying and setting appropriate water conservation and quality targets and forming an action plan (above) outlining how these targets are to be achieved.

We are now implementing actions outlined in our action plan to reduce water consumption and improve water quality in the Port Phillip region.

For more information on the Water Campaign see www.iclei.org/anz/water/water.htm

The following projects have occurred in the past few years and demonstrate the commitment to improving water conservation and quality within the city.

Port Phillip EcoCentre

The Eco Centre is located in the St Kilda Botanic Gardens on the corner of Blessington and Herbert Streets. It is open Monday to Friday for the public to come in and browse. Guided tours are provided by appointment. The EcoCentre provides inspiration and information for people wanting to live more sustainably, focusing on the areas of water, energy, waste management, building and garden design and personal wellbeing.

The building and garden have been retrofitted to harvest, conserve and re-use water. Key EcoWater features include:

• Harvesting and storing rainfall from the roof of the building for flushing toilets (the major use of water for the building), and food garden beds.
• Blackwater (from the toilet) and greywater (from the kitchen and bathroom) are re-used for sub-surface irrigation after being treated on-site by an EPA Victoria approved system, consisting of a wet composting worm farm, reed bed, and a trench with citrus trees.
• A semi-formal floral display of low-water use, local native plants that have not been watered since planting in October 2003.
• A balcony display demonstrating garden products that maintain healthy container plants in exposed locations.
• Water efficient flow regulators, showerheads, and dual flush toilet cisterns: easy and affordable ways of saving water.

The EcoHouse project complements many council programs including Sustainable Living at Home, a practical advice program for Port Phillip residents wanting to create a more sustainable lifestyle, community and environment.  

Sustainable Living At Home

The Sustainable Living at Home program is available to City of Port Phillip residents to help make your home and lifestyle more environmentally sustainable. The program is packed with information and practical and easy options that you can tailor to fit your life.

The program consists of five seminars (workshops) which provide the basis for learning how you can do more while using less. During this program you learn about many ways you can make your home more sustainable - and save money too. The program is coordinated so that you can work in teams with people who live in your neighbourhood and share and learn with each other, the expert guest presenters and the facilitators.

The five topics discussed throughout the seminars are:

• energy
• travel
• water
• waste
• green money

Inkerman Oasis development

This 237 unit, 3-5 level residential development is a joint venture between the City of Port Phillip and Inkerman Developments Pty. Ltd. It incorporates a range of passive and active sustainable development principles and has lifted the benchmark for sustainable development in Australia. 

The development boasts several national firsts including:

• The first mix of community and private housing provided by a developer.
• The first time in Australia that grey and storm water are being recycled for irrigation and toilet flushing in a high-density residential development.

Recognition and awards for the development include:

• The United Nations Association of Australia World Environment Day Award 2000.
• The Stockholm Partnership for Sustainable Cities Award 2002.
• Nomination for the Greenhouse Building Award 2002.

The water consumption and quality benefits of the developments design features include:

• Wastewater recycling - comprising domestic greywater, stormwater and reuse.
• Black water (sewage) is still treated via the conventional sewerage system.
• Landscaping largely with native plants.
• Use of low embodied energy material where suitable and construction waste minimisation.

Benefits of the Inkerman development include:

• Reduction of potable water requirements of the site by about 20% in summer and 40% in winter.
• Reuse of greywater - reducing sewage going to the Bay via one of the metropolitan sewerage treatment plants.
• Natural fertilisation of gardens from nutrients in the treated wastewater.
• Use of nutrient loads for plant food - first flush of stormwater, containing the bulk of nutrient and gross pollutants, is collected on-site and nutrient loads are used for plant food rather than running into the drainage system going to Port Phillip Bay.
• An estimated 14 tonnes of nitrogen and phosphates will be prevented from entering Port Phillip Bay per year.

Inkerman Oasis Residential Development

Water recycling at JL Murphy Reserve

City of Port Phillip are partners in a groundbreaking water recycling and re-use operation, which helps to irrigate our open space without reducing our dwindling potable supplies.

Using stormwater collected throughout the metropolitan region, Barry Bros Specialised Services in partnership with City of Port Phillip have installed a stormwater recycling unit called the Xtracta at the JL Murphy Reserve. Since the project's inception in 2003, it has turned over an average of 1,000,000 litres of water per month.

This partnership has resulted in a great utilisation of water. Now water which used to go to prescribed waste, is being used to irrigate sports ovals at JL Murphy Reserve, water some of our street trees and supplement our street cleaning operations.

Within the first six months of operation the Xtracta plant produced 3 million litres of water - a saving of approximately $20,000 to the council and over 12 million glasses of water!! 

The pilot has proven very successful and is set to expand its capacity. City of Port Phillip have received funding from the Federal Government's Community Water Grant and has earmarked this money to increase the capacity of the facility and expand the irrigated area. 

Water harvesting at City of Port Phillip Depot

Street cleaning is a high water use service, but is necessary in the interests of public health and amenity.

Port Phillip uses about 35,000 litres of water per week on road and footpath cleaning.

As a means of reducing the impact of this water use, council has installed three 25,000 litre water tanks to collect rainwater from the roofs of the Port Melbourne depot.

This water is then used in the street sweeper trucks and for truck cleaning, replacing drinking water.

Another great and innovative initiative!

Howe Parade stormwater

As part of the stormwater management plan, a water-sensitive urban design has been implemented along the Boulevard of Howe Parade in Port Melbourne.

The design includes treatment of stormwater run-off to remove litter, as well as dissolved pollutants and nutrients. This lowers the amount of stormwater and pollutant runoff into Port Phillip Bay.

The landscaping has retained existing trees and included the planting of native plants that do not require irrigation.

St Kilda Town Hall extension

The extension to the St Kilda Town Hall will incorporate several water saving measures including:

• underground water tanks to harvest (collect) rainwater from the new roof to be used for toilet flushing 
• water wise plumbing including water-conserving fixtures
• flow restricting valves for taps
• water efficient showerheads
• low flush toilets
• waterless urinals
• solar heating for hot water

Save Water Australia - an Australian based website providing information on:

• water saving products and techniques
• water saving gardens and plants
• water storage levels in Australia and
• global water issues

Conserve Water - Melbourne Water's website includes information about:

• Melbourne's water catchments and storage levels
• water in the Australian environment
• water education resources
• a home water use investigator calculator
• water-wise tips

Environmental Protection Authority

• Includes information on grey water recycling

South East Water - The water retailer in the City of Port Phillip. A significant portion of their website is dedicated to education and environment.

Blackwater:  Untreated domestic waste water that must be treated (from toilets) 

Greywater:  Untreated domestic or industrial wastewater that can be used for watering lawns and gardens, or for other purposes, instead of being drained into the sewerage system (domestic sources are from household sinks, showers and baths).

Megalitres: One Million Litres.

Potable Water:  Drinking water.

Stormwater:  Rainwater runoff that gets channelled into the stormwater system and then into rivers, creeks, bays or oceans.

Use eServices to ask us a question, request information or give us feedback online. If you prefer call ASSIST on (03) 9209 6777 or TTy (03) 9209 6713 and ask for Environmental Policy & Planning.