The planning and construction of an urban stormwater management scheme

Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) offers a means to integrate stormwater best management practices into urban planning and design to achieve multiple objectives. Some of these objectives relate to stormwater drainage, water quality improvements, aquatic habitat protection, stormwater harvesting and use, and landscape amenity. The Lynbrook Estate, Australia, has incorporated bio-filtration systems and wetlands into the design of major roads, local access streets and parklands that attenuate and treat roof runoff and road runoff from a 32 ha, 270 allotment residential precinct. This paper outlines the process that enabled the concept of a stormwater drainage design to be translated into on-ground works. Details of the construction activities, costs and market acceptance highlight the potential for the adoption of similar practices elsewhere.