Storm water collection

Perth is characterised by sandy soils, which enable a lot of stormwater to infiltrate into the ground.

The shallow groundwater is then used to irrigate gardens and public open spaces which is an indirect way to use stormwater.

Storm water recycling

Because most of the rain in Perth falls in winter the stormwater in the drains would need to be collected and stored somewhere to be used for irrigation in summer. The water would also need to be treated and delivered to users.

These factors make large scale stormwater recycling a challenge; however it may be considered in the longer term. On a smaller scale some local shires take stormwater directly from the drains and use it locally for irrigation purposes.

Stormwater can also be recycled on site by implementing elements of Water Sensitive Urban Design which is gaining momentum in Western Australia.