Wetland ecosystems for treatment of stormwater in an urban environment

The drive towards urban consolidation has placed increased emphasis on development of innovative stormwater management solutions. This chapter describes management strategies undertaken by the NSW Department of Public Works & Services (DPWS) in utilising wetland ecosystems integrated into the general landscaping/streetscape for the treatment of urban stormwater. The strategies are based on formulating designs that incorporate multiple objectives and opportunities for integrating the following: urban design, landscape, aesthetics, engineering of subsurface ground conditions and stormwater runoff into the overall management strategy, so that a total water cycle management approach can be adopted, for an existing or new sub-division within an urban environment. It should be noted that the management strategies could also be combined to form a Universal Stormwater Treatment Train Model. The chapter also introduces the Victoria Park project in Sydney, Australia, which was constructed with these wetland ecosystems for site stormwater management.