Oaklands Wetland, 237-265 Oaklands Road, Oaklands Park, has transformed the disused former driver education centre site into a beautiful new habitat where people can appreciate the year-round open water and connect directly with nature. Together, Oaklands Wetland and Oaklands Estate Reserve, extending to the south, are one of the City of Marion’s most highly valued recreational and biodiverse destinations. The local community and visitors can take a walk or go for a run along the paths, relax with a picnic, have a barbecue, watch the birds, or explore the wetland.
But the award-winning Oaklands Wetland is so much more than this – the wetland, at 2.2 hectares in area, forms part of an integrated water recycling system helping to keep reserves green across the City of Marion, reducing the use of mains water, and protecting natural groundwater reserves. A small portion of the water flowing in the adjacent Sturt River is diverted into the wetland where natural processes clean it. Cleaned water is injected into the deep aquifer under the wetland for storage over winter. In summer, the stored, treated water is pumped out to irrigate council reserves through a dedicated underground pipe network.
Currently the scheme provides an alternative water supply for 11 reserves, including two large sports fields. Over the 2016-17 summer irrigation season, Council expects to deliver 75 ML of recovered stormwater to these reserves. At full capacity the scheme is expected to provide up to 200 ML of stormwater for irrigation of up to 31 Council reserves replacing mains or groundwater use, or creating new irrigated areas.
The Oaklands wetland scheme harvests base flows from the Sturt River in what is effectively a drained area of the catchment. The stormwater is then treated via a sedimentation basin and a 2.3 Ha wetland prior to recharge of the aquifer via ASR technology. The scheme will ultimately harvest up to 140 ML/annum for irrigation of council parks with the intention to produce a secure water supply independent of mains.
Read our Oaklands stormwater harvest and re-use project case study for more information.
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