Blue Mountains News

The Symposium, to be held at the Planetary Health Centre in Katoomba, will bring together Sydney Water’s Program Manager for Drought, a leading expert in decentralised water and water reuse, an expert in bushfire sprinkler systems, a water engineer and a plumber, and a representative from Hydraloop, an innovative new technology that can clean around 40% of the water used by a home or business so that it can be reused.

It will address strategies for reducing stormwater damage, while also preparing for future droughts and fire seasons.

During the Symposium participants - including Council staff and local plumbers, builders, architects and residents - will be given a guided tour of the new water demonstration site being developed as part of the Planetary Health Centre, at the former Katoomba Golf Course.

There will be an opportunity to view the Hydraloop, and to learn more about how it can be retrofitted into existing homes or incorporated into new builds. The Hydraloop has been described as a ‘skinny fridge’ and provides roughly the same water savings as an average household tank, but with a much smaller footprint.

To demonstrate the potential for collecting, cleaning and storing large amounts of stormwater under roads at the end of flame zone streets, under lawns and under parks and playing fields, the Centre has installed a 150,000 litre underground storage system built with Stormbrixx. This will be immediately available for firefighting if the mains go down.

The Centre has also installed a small domestic water tank with a range of fittings to demonstrate how households can help reduce damaging stormwater runoff, by collecting rainwater and using it for washing clothes and flushing toilets. Pumps and fittings can allow the tank to ‘transform’ from using water internally, to making it available for gardening and firefighting during periods of low rain. At the Centre, the tank is supplying the water for a Bushfire Sprinkler Demonstration wall.

The free Water Symposium:Future Proofing with Circular Water will be held from 9am to 3pm on Friday, 26 July at the Planetary Health Centre, 33-39 Acacia St, Katoomba. A free lunch will be provided. Bookings essential via here or 0407 437 553.

This event and the building of the water demonstration site has been supported by the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF). The DRRF is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.