Gordon Barnard Reserve raingarden
The raingarden, completed in Spring 2020, receives water pumped from a stormwater drain beneath the reserve. The raingarden treats water as it is filtered through the soil before it is stored in an underground tank. Excess filtered water is released back to the Glass Creek and on to the Yarra River. The stored water receives further treatment before being used for irrigation of the two ovals. The ovals are used year round by a number of sports clubs.
The project has been carefully designed to consider safety, the provision of quality sports facilities and amenity and aesthetics.
Benefits
- Designed to treat 106 megalitres of water per year (cleaner water is returned to our waterways) and provide approximately 70% reduction in drinking water used for irrigation.
- Reducing demand on water catchments.
- Projected lowering water bills by around $20,000 per year.
- Over 2000 indigenous plants established; the species have been selected to increase diversity and be attractive to pollinating insects. In addition, 12 large new trees will be planted, providing shade during summer and colour and diversity.
- Less pollution to local waterways - removal of nutrients, sediments and other pollutants from stormwater that flows to the Yarra River and Port Phillip Bay.