Blackmore Oval Wetlands creating sustainable future
Wednesday 17 October 2018
Inner West Council’s new Blackmore Oval Wetlands and Stormwater Harvesting Scheme will deliver cleaner water to Iron Cove and supply recycled water for irrigation of Blackmore Oval, in newly completed works costing $590,000.
The new wetlands will filter stormwater runoff from the City WestLink before it reaches Iron Cove.
Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne said that it was a huge step forward in sustainability for Inner West and would contribute to cleaning up Iron Cove and the Parramatta River.
“The Blackmore Oval wetlands were almost lost due to WestConnex’s attempted acquisition of the Oval,” he said.
“WestConnex came close to getting their hands on it, but we fought hard to save them and RMS have now handed control of the Wetlands over to us.”
Two gross pollutant traps take stormwater runoff from the City Westlink and filter out rubbish and any sediments larger than 5mm. The water then makes its way through the wetland pool and plants, which act like a sieve and traps impurities like fine silts and heavy metals. At the end, clean water is sent out into Iron Cove.
“Not only are the wetlands greatly improving the quality of the water going into Iron Cove, but they are a great place to visit and see a natural ecosystem at work,” said Mayor Byrne.
“The wetland now features a pedestrian path and seating to open the area up to the public and turning the previous eyesore into a peaceful natural pond.”
In the stormwater harvesting scheme, water coming down the Leichhardt catchment channel is captured and filtered before being stored in a tank for irrigation. If the tanks are full, excess filtered water is sent to the wetlands.
Water for irrigation is pumped from the tank and through an ultra violet disinfection system before it is sprayed onto the field.
“The water harvesting system produces an incredible 240 kilolitres of recycled water every week, which supplies all of the irrigation needs for Blackmore Oval,” said Mayor Byrne.
“It replaces a former system that used potable mains water, and it’s powered by a solar array on the site, making it completely sustainable.
“These great pair of projects are part of Inner West Council’s push to improve our water quality and make more sustainable choices for our community.”
The work has been completed at a cost of $590,000, including a grant of $177,175 from the Office of Environment and Heritage.
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For further information, please contact Kate Walsh on 9392 5685 or kate.walsh@innerwest.nsw.gov.au