WASTEWATER
Harvesting stormwater from Lake Caroline City West Water has recently completed construction of a wet well extraction system within Lake Caroline, for the irrigation of eight hectares of open spaces across Caroline Springs Town Centre Recreation Reserve and Catholic Regional College.
W
ater is delivered via 1100m of reticulation pipes connected to the extraction system, and the project is estimated to save up to 52 million litres of precious drinking water per year.
The pumps The wet well extraction system includes a Grundfos submersible pump with a horizontal discharge port. These particular pumps are specifically designed for the pressurised pumping of wastewater. City West Water Customer Compliance Officer Water Innovations Brock Tunnicliffe said the pump was also equipped with a grinder system, which grinds destructible solids into small pieces so that they can be led away through pipes of a relatively small diameter. “This was great for this particular application, as there were large amounts of leaves, dirt and sediment in the water being pumped,” said Mr Tunnicliffe. “Another benefit is that the pump does not have to run continuously to operate effectively. When switched to ‘auto’ mode, the pump will only activate when there is demand for water.”
The Benefits According to Mr Tunnicliffe, the Lake Caroline Stormwater Harvesting Project is a fantastic example of City West Water’s commitment to putting customers first by supporting thriving community spaces. “We have worked closely with the City of Melton to help the area of Caroline Springs reduce its reliance on potable water for irrigation, and to improve the quality of Melbourne’s waterways. “The project also boasts a water sensitive urban design, which is in-line with our commitment to the government’s Water for Victoria initiative. “The system will continue to operate no matter the climatic conditions, and will provide our customers with a communal space that they can enjoy all year round,” said Mr Tunnicliffe.
About Lake Caroline Lake Caroline is part of the Stony Hill Creek catchment area of approximately 1530 hectares, with 290 hectares of the total catchment contributing to flows into the Lake Caroline catchment. The catchment spans from Melton Highway in Hillside to Caroline Springs Blvd in Caroline Springs.
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pump industry | Winter 2017 | Issue 20
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