Saturday, 3 April 1999
Howard A. Bridgman, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia; and D. A. Arthur, P. J. Coombes, and G. A. Kuczera
"Figtree Place" is an innovative 27 unit urban redevelopment project in the inner suburb of Hamilton in Newcastle, NSW, Australia. The site is defined to be "water sensitive" in that water collected from roof runoff during rain events is stored in bulk tanks, and pavement and ground runoff recharges the aquifer for later reuse. Roof water is used for hot water, toilet flushing,
showers; every purpose except drinking water. Ground recharge is extracted for local irrigation and bus washing at the neighbouring Newcastle Buses depot. Drinking water is supplied by Hunter Water. Water, its quality, and
its uses are being monitored over the three and one-half years, commencing in April 1998. This paper describes preliminary results of water quality testing for inorganic ions (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, ammonium,
and hydrogen (by pH); the heavy metals iron, lead, and zinc, sulfate, nitrite, nitrate, and chloride) performed between July 1998 and June 1999.
Water was collected on an event basis during winter 1998 and autumn 1999 from rain and roofs (five aspects). Initial runoff was collected as "first flush", followed by bulk sample to represent the rain entering the on-site
tanks. Occasional sampling of the on-site tanks was made to determine the effects of storage on the water quality. The data were evaluated for: comparison with drinking water guidelines; differences between rainwater and
roof water quality; differences between first flush and bulk samples; differences by roof orientation; and differences by wind direction sector related to possible upwind emission sources. Preliminary results indicate
that water quality from both rain and roof meets drinking water guidelines with occasional exceptions. Chemical quality improves on standing in concrete tanks. The study provides assessment of air quality in an industrial city and its impact on rainfall, and a practical evaluation of
the potential for generating standards for future similar developments.
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