Managing Our Water
Water tanks at Marrickville Community Nursery
Strategy for a Water Sensitive Community
The Strategy for a Water Sensitive Community aims to move current urban water management in Marrickville to a more sustainable and flexible approach The Strategy will enable Council and its communities to create liveable, productive, resilient and sustainable communities.
The Strategy joins Council's urban water management programs under one common vision, aligning them directly with the Marrickville Community Vision, and the Council and community key result areas and key outcomes that together provide the long-term direction for Marrickville.
The strategy includes four implementation strategies and targets.
- Reduce the use of potable mains water in homes, businesses, Council facilities and public spaces.
- Manage the stormwater system and its impacts on the urban environment.
- Support regional projects to improve the health of the Cooks River, Botany Bay, Lower Parramatta River, Sydney Harbour and their catchments.
- Implement sustainable urban water management.
These have come about through working closely with people and businesses in the Marrickville local government area over the last seven years on sustainable water management projects. To address challenges of reforming current water management, the Strategy is informed by leading national research that will help Council create a water sensitive community while addressing Council's responsibility in implementing the Metropolitan Plan for Sydney 2036.
Council adopted this pioneering strategy on 4 February 2013.
Water Saving Action Plan
Council has a Water Saving Action Plan, which identifies water efficiency projects to be implemented within its buildings.
Several water conservation initiatives have been implemented including:
- installation of rainwater tanks at Council's Child Care Centres;
- installation of a rainwater tank and an irrigation system at the Marrickville Community Nursery; and
- water efficient fixtures and fittings installed in Building B at the Council Depot and at Council's Administration Centre.
Sustainable Irrigation Plan (SIP)
Marrickville Council currently spend around $90,000 every year on drinking water that is used to irrigate its sports fields. The aim of the Sustainable Irrigation Plan (SIP) is to maintain the condition of local sports fields while reducing the amount of potable water used for irrigation.
The SIP will do this in two ways:
- improving irrigation efficiency, and;
- substituting potable water with non-potable sources such as rain water, stormwater, groundwater and recycled wastewater.
More information on this plan is available at our Water and Subcatchments section.
This project has been assisted by the New South Wales
Government through its Environmental Trust.
Collaborative Planning
Marrickville Council is working with local communities towards sustainable management of our catchments and water resources, including Cooks River. Visit the Water and Subcatchments section of our website to find out more about this and other water related programs.