Water Sensitive
Urban Design
The Waterside Development near Penrith Lakes
Water Sensitive
Urban Design
The Waterside Development near Penrith Lakes
Water Sensitive
Urban Design
The Waterside Development near Penrith Lakes
Stocklands Waterside
Stocklands Waterside
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Waterside will include over 680 dwellings, a recreation
centre and a commercial and retail precinct providing
services and amenity to the growing Penrith
community.
The development will include a total of 10 hectares of
lakes and waterways; four kilometres of continuous
wetland boardwalks and 10 hectares of publicly
accessible open space.
It is situated on the Farrell’s Creek catchment that
drains into the Penrith Lakes Development.
Water Sensitive Urban Design
(WSUD)
• Water-sensitive urban design is the
integration of urban planning and
development with the management,
protection and conservation of the water
cycle as a whole.
Key Principles of WSUD
• Protect natural systems
• Protect water quality
• Integrate stormwater treatment into the
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landscape
Reduce runoff and peak flows
Add value while minimising
development costs
Reduce potable water demand
Raingardens
• Raingardens resemble a regular home garden
with one major difference - they have
rainwater directed into them from your
downpipe or paved area.
Raingardens
• Raingarden vegetation soaks up rainfall. In
doing so, raingardens reduce the amount of
stormwater that would otherwise wash large
amounts of pollutants quickly into the
stormwater drain and into your local stream.
Raingardens
• Raingardens also treat the quality of rainfall
runoff whilst providing habitat for native
fauna such as birds, butterflies and even
frogs.
Raingardens
• Keeping rain where it falls by putting it into a
raingarden is a simple solution to stormwater
pollution and is part of making your home
stormwater sensitive.
Rainwater Tanks
Rainwater Tanks
• Rainwater tanks use stormwater as a resource
around the home as well as reducing urban runoff. All homes at Waterside have underground
stormwater tanks and a RainBank® device
• A RainBank device is used for:
1. Rainwater harvesting
2. Stormwater calming
Rainwater Tanks
• RainBank is a simple, self-contained controller
for rainwater harvesting systems. It manages
the supply of stored rainwater to appropriate
applications in your house automatically.
• It can provide water for:
1. up to 4 toilets
2. a washing machine
3. two external taps
Housing Layout
Housing Layout
• A water sensitive housing layout integrates
residential blocks with the surrounding drainage
function and open space.
• Such housing layouts often include a more
compact form of development, which reduces
impervious surfaces and help protect the water
quality and health of urban waterways.
Road Layout and Drainage
Road Layout and Drainage
• A water sensitive road layout implements
the practice of locating roads beside gardens
or open space. Run-off is directed onto
porous surfaces for watering purposes and to
reduce stormwater flow. Drainage from
roads goes to one side and roads tend to be
narrower (decreasing impervious surfaces).
Road Layout and Drainage
• A major advantage, apart from reducing
flows, is the reduced cost by minimising
amount of piped network and area of road
surface.
Recirculation Waterfall
Recirculation Waterfall
• Water flows from the upstream catchment are
collected in a Gross Pollution Trap. Water can
be stored in underground tanks where pollutants
are extracted.
• Pumps then carry the water to this waterfall
which has two major functions :
1. Circulate water too prevent stagnation
2. Add oxygen to the water as indicated by the
white bubbles
Rip Raps and Fish Ladders
Rip Raps and Fish Ladders
• The lake is divided into sections. The
contours fall from west to east which create
water flows. In between each section are
rock piles known as “rip raps”. The water
movement over rip raps oxygenate the
water.
• At Waterside all weir structures (rip raps)
have fish ladders incorporated into their
design to allow fish movement.
Buffer Zones
(Vegetated strip on banks around lakes )
Buffer Zones
(Vegetated strip on banks around lakes )
• Water sensitive urban design should include
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natural habitats and buffer zones adjacent to
watercourses
Waterside’s buffer zones are made up of
native trees, shrubs, herbs and grasses.
These zones slow down the water flow and
allow infiltration. Excess nutrients are taken
out of the water by the plant’s root systems.
Sediment is held back by buffer zone.
Macrophyte Zone
Macrophyte Zone
• This area is usually occupied by emergent
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and submerged aquatic plants. The plants
plus the sediments in which these plants
grow, take up or convert the nutrients
(phosphates and nitrates) and thus assist in
the treatment of stormwater.
Other pollutants, taken up by plants include
suspended solids, heavy metals, organic
material and even oil.