HOW much do you know about the stormwater harvesting process?
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Orange residents will have the opportunity to expand their knowledge with a tour of the now operational stormwater management system to learn more about the city’s integrated water supply system.
The tour will be run by Orange City Council representatives and Environmentally Concerned Citizens of Orange (ECCO) members.
The first stop on the tour will be Ploughman’s Valley Wetlands for a presentation with Orange City Council community engagement officer Bill Josh.
This will be followed by a presentation with Orange City Council water management expert Josh Barnes.
The last stop on the tour will be the sewage treatment works for a second talk presented by Mr Barnes.
ECCO president Nick King said stormwater harvesting was made possible by urban development and extra runoffs from driveways and roofs.
“Normally in a natural environment a lot water soaks into the ground. It’s a 21st century way of augmenting our water supplies,” Mr King said.
“It’s a 21st century way of augmenting our water supplies. It’s about capitalising on the extra water.”
Mr King said the system extracted an environmentally sustainable amount of water. “There are strict guidelines about how much you can take,” he said.
“The system extracts that from Ploughman’s creek by means of electric pumps which activates when the creek reaches a specific level.
“The pumps extracts a certain percentage of water which is about three per cent. It’s then pumped into a storage facility up near the sewage works then pumped into a dam.”
Mr King said our stormwater harvesting system was "unique” because it is used for irrigation.
“We use it for drinking water because our system is so good. We’re famous in that regard,” he said.
Attendees are asked to meet at the Orange Civic Centre car park at 2pm to 4.30pm on Saturday.
The tour is the final event in the calendar for the Rotary Club of Orange’s Sustainable Living Week.
The aim of the week is to better the lives people across the city through sustainable initiatives.
For more information and free bus bookings: Nick King on 0490 087 424
