The Tech Trail
This is a series of caches that highlight Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD). Make sure you look for some of the features listed below near the cache location. Bring your own pen to sign the log book.
The M2 building is a hub of learning and research at the University of South Australia (UniSA) and was opened on 6 August 2012. A number of Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) techniques have been integrated into the landscape surrounding the building. Raingardens have been used to capture stormwater runoff from the adjacent road and paving, allowing passive irrigation and treatment. These gardens are designed to pond to retain stormwater and reduce stormwater flow rates and volumes. These ponds are full only during or immediately after rain events. Permeable pavements have been used on car parking bays to allow direct infiltration of runoff with subsurface storage to allow capture of stormwater and fire sprinkler test water, which will be used to irrigate the adjacent landscape in the drier months. A 45 kilolitre rainwater tank has also been included underneath the building. This tank sources roof stormwater runoff for non-potable supply.
Permeable pavement
Standard paving is designed to shed stormwater from the pavement surface to a downstream system. Permeable paving is designed to allow stormwater to infiltrate through the pavement surface for storage underneath. The stored water may be reused, allowed to infiltrate or disposed of at a controlled flow rate. Permeable pavements provide environmental benefits by slowing stormwater peak flow rates and reducing runoff volumes.
Rain gardens
Rain gardens are designed to receive stormwater from a catchment area and allow the water to pond at the surface. The stormwater infiltrates through the specially formulated filter media in the garden and may be allowed to infiltrate through the base or collected by a stormwater pipe at the base of the system. Rain gardens provide environmental benefits by slowing stormwater peak flow rates and reducing runoff volumes.
Rainwater harvesting
Rainwater harvesting is an excellent way to reduce the volume of stormwater runoff and reduce mains water demand. It can be used from small to large scales. A typical small scale example is a rainwater tank collecting roof water. These are typically about 1 kL in size in Adelaide’s suburbs. The M2 building has a 45 kL tank underneath the building.
