Centennial Parklands is committed to environmentally sustainable water use.

During the dry years of 2003-2007 when Sydney experienced a sustained period with lower than normal rainfall the Trust fully complied with the water us restrictions introduced by Sydney Water.

The Trust quickly implemented a Drought Management Plan, to promote the use of pond water (recycled stormwater) for horticultural and sports field irrigation. This was eventually able to be extended to areas such as the Rose and Column Gardens, Paddington Gates and Belvedere, and at the Centennial Parklands Equestrian Centre.

A dry site

The Parklands are located on what was originally a coastal sand dune system. Whilst the groundwater table is shallow in some areas there are also very extensive dry areas throughout the parks.

Most of the Parklands are not irrigated at all and depend entirely on natural rainfall for the grass, trees and other plants to grow.

The Trust doesn’t believe it would be sustainable use of water to irrigate all areas, and is selective about where irrigation is applied.

Reduced reliance on potable water

The Parklands uses almost 300 megalitres of water each year, of which some 175 kilolitres is recycled. Only 25 megalitres, or 8.3%, is town water and this reliance continues to be reduced.

Our reliance on bore water also fell by 4%, mainly due to conversion of the bus loop playing field in Moore Park from bore to pond water.

The use of pond water has subsequently increased by 20%.

Water savings initiatives

Through its Park Improvement Plan, the Trust and the NSW Government have funded a number of key water savings initiatives to help it reduce reliance on potable water supplies.

These have been implemented during a number of key projects including:

1. Amenities upgrade:

• installation of waterless urinals, efficient flushing and timed flow taps
• sink and roof water is filtered and recycled to the pond irrigation system

These initiatives mean a combined total water saving of almost 1.8 megalitres of water per year. This is equivalent to almost two Olympic-sized swimming pool.

2. Centennial Parklands Restaurant refurbishment:

• potable water savings in the refurbishment of the Centennial Parklands Restaurant through installation of an underground water tank to collect roof water that will be used to flush the toilets serving the restaurant and the adjoining public toilets.

It is estimated that installation of the water tank will save more than one million litres of potable water per annum.

3. Centennial Parklands Foundation funded projects

The Trust has also delivered a number of key projects through projects funded by The Centennial Parklands Foundation working in partnership with both the NSW and Australian Governments, including:

• A grant of $139,980 received from the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change’s Water Savings Fund (now Climate Change Fund) to connect 50% of the irrigation of the Rose and Column Gardens in Centennial Park to pond water and installation of seven water tanks (total 21,000 litres) at the Equestrian Centre in Moore Park for storage of collected rain water from the large roof surfaces. This water is used in the horse wash down bays and exercise yards.
• A grant of $43,500 from the Australian Government Water Fund through the Community Water Grants scheme to install gross pollutant traps at Kensington Pond for stormwater and sediment control. These traps filter tonnes of rubbish and sediment from urban runoff, preventing them from entering into the Centennial Park ponds system. The captured stormwater, once filtered, can be used for irrigation.

Botany Sand Aquifer and groundwater bores

Centennial Parklands overlies part of a very large groundwater aquifer known as the Botany Sand Aquifer, which contains millions of litres of freshwater. Along with many other landowners the Trust is able to tap into this water resource for irrigation purposes. Like the water in our dams, groundwater is not an unlimited resource and must be managed responsibly so that it does not become polluted or over-exploited.

Fortunately the recharge rate for the sand aquifer, that is the time it takes for rainfall to find its way through rock strata into the sand beds, is very fast. Good rainfall in 2008 would have helped to recharge the Botany Sand Aquifer.

The return of the El Nino weather phenomenon in 2009, which usually produces dry conditions, will inevitably increase demand for groundwater from the aquifer.