The TREENET Inlet system is an emerging WSUD tool that harvests road runoff from residential streets and arterial roads to irrigate street trees. By intercepting the ‘first flush’ of stormwater, TREENET Inlets remove pollutants near their source and promote biosequestration of nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen that might otherwise cause algal blooms in receiving waters downstream .
TREENET Inlets are installed in the kerb; they connect to an infiltration trench or ‘leaky well’ which detains the water until it soaks into the soil in the nature strip. By placing this water in the soil profile at a distance from the tree (ideally midway between two street trees) a moisture gradient is set up whereby root development is toward the source and away from other hard infrastructure. Trees are then able to redistribute this water to other drier locations in the root zone by a process known as hydraulic lift. This reconstructed root array also creates biopores through seasonal growth of finer absorption roots thus increasing the natural permeability of the verge profile.
Innovative TREENET inlets are located along Claremont Avenue, Urrbrae and throughout the Council including, but not limited to, Clovelly Avenue Clarence Gardens, Lancelot Drive Daw Park, Coolidge Avenue Lower Mitcham and Claremont Avenue Urrbrae.
Following the initial trials in Claremont Avenue Urrbrae, TREENET Inlets have been installed in many councils across the states of South Australia, Western Australia and Victoria. Further SA examples can be seen in the City of Unley in Owen Street Goodwood, Grove Avenue Unley Park, Barr-Smith Avenue Myrtle Bank and Oxford Terrace Unley.
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