Gordon Barnard Reserve Stormwater Harvesting

Contek was engaged by the City of Boroondara to construct an elaborate stormwater harvesting scheme to provide reclaimed stormwater to two of the Council's flagship sporting ovals.
This project blended function with form seamlessly, with the beautiful landscape above ground concealing the intricate system that lies beneath.
A deep diversion pit was cast onto a live 1050mm⌀ Council drain, some six metres below the surface. This diversion pit fed a fiberglass pumpwell, housing two electric pumps. These pumps deliver water up a rising main, into a SPEL GPT. Water flows from the GPT via bubbling risers into a 19m diameter raingarden. The raingarden was built of corten weathering steel, sealed with a HDPE liner, and planted with native grasses.
Water is then filtered through highly specified and rigorously tested drainage, transition and filter medias before collecting in a network of subsoil drain and then on into a 370kL underground concrete tank. This behemoth, whose lid sits under three metres of earth, is built to withstand the vigorous forces of maintenance trucks and vehicles.
From the tank, water is drawn to an irrigation shed wherein the water is physically filtered once more, prior to UV filtration. This water is then discharged into the irrigation ring mains of the two adjacent ovals.

Main Scope:

• 370kL reinforced concrete tank
• 6m deep diversion pit and pumpwell
• GPT
• Corten steel raingarden and landscaping
• Extensive pumping and filtration systems

Client: Boroondara City Council
Contract value: ~$1.44 million
Completion: Sept 2020

Awards: 2021 CCF Sustainability Award