Community Water
At the Planetary Health Centre we’re exploring options for Community Water Management to reduce the risk of future extreme weather events becoming disasters.
In 2023, Blue Mountains City Council built an in-ground concrete community firefighting tank at Mount Tomah to ensure a Static Water Supply for the RFS (see video below).
In 2024, we’ve built a 150,000 litre underground tank made of StormBrixx at the Planetary Health Centre. It’s fed by stormwater as part of a Circular Water Bushfire System and water is pumped to bushfire sprinklers on the building . It’s a model for potential tanks that could be installed at the end of flame zone streets around the perimeter of the City. While retaining water for fire, they could also detain stormwater surges in heavy rain events, thereby providing a solution for both flood and fire. Both tanks were built with the support of State and Federal governments.
StormBrixx can be used in the shallow soil profiles of most of the Blue Mountains and are strong enough to go under roads.
We’re also exploring models of grey and black water recycling to increase the amount of available water for firefighting and landscape hydration in future droughts and we’ve organised a community water tank bulk buy program to increase water storage and decrease stormwater runoff across the City.
Circular Water for a Combined Community Defence Against Fire
Andy Stevenson survived two fires at his property in Mount Victoria and attributes his grey and blackwater reuse for helping keep his property hydrated and for providing enough water to fight fire after the long drought. Here he argues that we should be reusing grey and black water on a community scale to protect the perimeters of our towns from fire.
You can view the full video and read his story in Blackheath Area Local News here
Community Firefighting Tank at Mount Tomah
In 2023, with the support of State and Federal government funding, Blue Mountains City Council built an inground watertank for firefighting at 10 Skyline Road Mount Tomah. Designed with the local RFS and Residents Association the tank pumps water to a hard stand where tankers can rapidly refill during a fire.
The top of the tank slopes to the middle so it can collect rainwater.
Circular Water for Disaster Risk Reduction
At the Future Proofing with Circular Water Symposium, held at the Planetary Health Centre, Mark Liebman discussed the Integrated Bushfire System installed on site as a model for the type of community water system that could be installed at the end of flame zone streets around the City to reduce the risk of disaster during bushfires (while also reducing stormwater pulses during heavy rain events).
Fed by stormwater, the 150,000 litre underground tank is built with StormBrixx and water is pumped to a bushfire sprinkler system on the building. The tank also provides a static water supply for the RFS.