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Stormwater Recycling for Bendigo
Interest is growing in the "harvesting" of the vast volumes of
urban stormwater which currently leaves Bendigo via the main Bendigo
Creek.
Proposals have been put forward by private citizens, MPs, local Council , business and water authorities.
Stormwater reliability is high, even in drought years ... but is
Bendigo too complacent with its "Superpipe" to harvest the
opportunities on its doorstep?
Discussion
BENDIGO STORMWATER - OPPORTUNITY # 1
Current flows down the Bendigo Creek can be partly captured in new
holding reservoirs and treated with natural reed beds, before being
processed throught the existing Coliban Waste Water Recycling
Plant at Epsom (a few km north of Bendigo). Such plans have been
proposed by Damian
Drum (local state parliamentarian in his 2006 election campaign) and
Kevin Long of KEV Engineering. ( See links at right -> )
Apparently this option has been dismissed by local State MP Bob Cameron
due to alleged costs of $200m ... however it is unclear where this
price tage has come from.
Previously regarded as being of marginal value, Coliban Water may be
looking at the stormwater option with fresh eyes, as a way of topping
up its current high-tech sewerage water recycling plant. Waste water
levels available to Coliban have dropped significantly due to Bendigonians diverting more grey water
to their gardens. The stormwater may also be required to dilute the high salinity of current waste water.
BENDIGO STORMWATER - OPPORTUNITY # 2
In the middle of Bendigo, it is feasible to run a some small new
sections of stormwater pipe so as to regularly top up and flush the
recreational facility of Lake Weerona.
However, Bendigo Council has refused to consider this option for the forseeable future. Instead, Council is paying thousands of
dollars a year to top up Lake Weeorna with Coliban Water's recycled sewerage water
which is now at a premium.
Community input is needed to sift through the many options.
It may be necessary to pressure the Bendigo Council to fund stormwater
upgrades near Lake Weeroona for this to happen ... sooner rather than
later.
There is also a lot of federal "red tape" around the Bendigo Creek
becasue it is considered to be part of the Murray Darling Basin.
Maybe the whole situation needs some common sense "outsiders" to give this tree a shake?
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Suggested Actions
--- That all proposal documents (from various sources),
maps and information be put in the public domain (e.g. on this or
another specified website)
--- That a list of all the affected parties and issues be drawn up
--- That a ist of Frequently Asked Questions be compiled.
--- Any interested people to make CONTACT
--- That further discussions and meetings be arranged as necessary.
Would you like to
add anything to this web page?
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HOME
CHRONOLOGY
OF AVAILABLE
PROPOSALS
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Incomplete
2006
Kevin Long Proposal
one page
2006
Damian Drum Proposal
( quite detailed ... 4 pages?
no electronic copy
at present )
March 2009
Mayor Kevin Gibbons
$200m costings carried out by Coliban Water ??
(Source unknown)
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SUMMARY OF INVOLVED PARTIES & ISSUES
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Including ...
"ownership" and legalities
of water
e.g. Council, Goulburn Murray Water, Murray Darling Basin Authority
economic cost and the "valuation" of water
urgency of
water security crisis
intended use of
captured water
e.g. parks and gardens, industry, stand-pipes, ... drinking?
technology for
processing water
e.g. natural reedbeds, high-tech reverse osmosis
sites for capture - e.g. Epsom, Goornong, other
new pipelines and infrastructure
downstream ecology
and environment
existing land use
in these areas
downstream irrigators
etc?
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