BT Connor Reserve stormwater harvesting system

Rainwater is collected from the roofs of the two pavilions at BT Connor Reserve and channelled through pipes into four water storage tanks nearby. As the water sits in the tanks, any particles of soil, litter or other contaminants that are floating in it are given time to sink to the bottom. This makes the water cleaner.

Solar power is used to manage the water levels in the tanks and pump water onto the soccer pitches to irrigate (water) the grass. If extra water is needed for irrigation, it can be drawn from Edwardes Lake (which also has a stormwater treatment system).

The warm season grasses that have been sown across the playing fields have widely-spreading roots and don’t need as much water to stay alive and healthy as cooler season grasses do.

Any water that runs off BT Connor Reserve, flows into the Merri Creek which runs very close to the western boundary of the park. By managing stormwater well on site, the quality of water in the Merri Creek is improved. This benefits the plants and animals that live in and around the creek – and those further downstream, in the Yarra River and Port Phillip Bay.

The BT Connor Reserve stormwater harvesting system consists of:

• Gutters and pipes to collect rainwater from the two pavilion roofs. The roofs have a total catchment area of just over 900 square metres (m³).
• Four rainwater tanks with a total storage capacity of almost 300,000 litres (or 300 kilolitres).
• Solar powered tank management and irrigation system.
• Overflow drainage system into the Merri Creek.

2011
Rainwater storage tanks installed.

2008-2015
Sowing of warm season grasses.

• $29,000 for the rain water harvesting system and four rainwater storage tanks
• $200,000 for sowing four soccer pitches with warm season grasses ($50,000 spent on each pitch)

Darebin City Council spends about $5,000 each year on maintaining the water tanks, pumps and irrigation system at BT Connor Reserve.

BT Connor Reserve is a public sports ground. It is home to the Preston Lions, a Victorian State League Division 1 (highest State level) club and can hold around 8,000 spectators on game days. The Preston Lions have men’s, women’s and junior teams who regularly play and train at BT Connor Reserve.

The stormwater harvesting system in place allows Council to keep the reserve’s soccer pitches in good playing condition year-round, benefiting the local community as well as visiting teams and spectators.

Another benefit of the system is using the treated water for irrigation costs much less than it would to irrigate the grounds with tap water. This saves Council and rate-payers money, and preserves the community’s drinking water supply.

Harvesting rainwater from the pavilion roofs and storing it in tanks allows most of the sediment (small particles of soil, litter and other contaminants) to sink to the bottom, making the water cleaner. This means any overflow from irrigation of BT Connor Reserve goes into the Merri Creek much cleaner than it would have been coming directly from the roofs. This is important as the Merri Creek is home to an abundance of aquatic wildlife (such as fish, frogs and birds) that rely on relatively un-polluted water for survival. Any water that enters the Merri Creek also flows into the Yarra River and eventually into Port Phillip Bay. Cleaner water entering the waterways upstream creates a cleaner marine environment too.

Storing stormwater on site also helps to slow the flow of stormwater into the creek during heavy rainfall events. This reduces erosion (loosening of soil) of the reserve and creek banks, and helps stop plants growing on the edges of the creek from being washed away.

Darebin City Council acknowledges the Wurundjeri people as the traditional owners and custodians of this land and pays respect to their Elders past and present.

Entirely funded by Darebin City Council.