Proactive maintenance of WSUD assets

Better performance and cost savings

Proactive maintenance ensures that water sensitive urban design (WSUD) assets remain in a good condition and cost less to maintain in the long term. An integrated approach to maintenance of the stormwater and landscape components of these assets is more likely to deliver better results. Rob Catchlove, Wave Maintenance, provides evidence that maintenance costs can be reduced over time, if assets are prevented from deteriorating to a poor condition rating.

We know that sediment management is critical to ensuring assets deliver their intended benefits, and Rob demonstrates some simple, cost-effective methods currently being applied in Melbourne to manage sediment.

Landscape contractor, LD Total, provide inspection and maintenance services to City of Marion for a suite of WSUD assets. Glynn Ricketts, City of Marion, explains how data emerging from inspections using Council’s new electronic form is set to transform how these assets are managed. Cost savings are expected via efficiencies in scheduling of works orders to restore tired WSUD assets to their intended functionality. Chris Collingwood from LD Total shares a contractor’s perspective of WSUD asset management and where opportunities exist to sustain the desired level of service of these blue-green assets.

Dale Browne, E2Designlab, provides evidence of the effectiveness of maintenance regimes to restore infiltration rates within both permeable and porous pavements. An audit of Melbourne pervious pavement systems identified the degree of clogging. The systems were tested again after thorough cleaning and optimal maintenance regimes were recommended to sustain suitable infiltration rates.