Marion Water’s $5.6m pipeline extension delivering a greener city

The $5.6m extension to Marion Water’s pipeline is now complete, enabling the delivery of recycled water to several reserves, parks and facilities in Adelaide’s south.

Marion Water operates a stormwater harvesting scheme delivering economic, environmental and social benefits to the community.

Acting as a reliable water service provider, it operates an Aquifer Storage and Reuse scheme at Oaklands Wetlands, where treated stormwater is delivered to our own parks, gardens, street trees and ovals.

This latest 13km extension is jointly funded by council and the Federal Government through the Off-Farm Efficiency Program.

It enables the City of Marion to replace at least 143ML of potable River Murray water currently used for irrigation with recycled stormwater each year, delivering it to more than 40 reserves across the City of Marion, as well as Flinders University and the Women’s Memorial Playing Fields.

The project delivers benefits to the Murray-Darling Basin by returning 143ML of water entitlements towards the 450GL of environmental water under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, and diverting and treating urban stormwater run-off that would have otherwise entered Adelaide’s coastal waters.

This new extension leads from council’s City Services facility on Marion Road and travels along the river corridor under South Road.

It branches off at the Southern Expressway and travels through Darlington and Seaview Downs, ultimately terminating at the top of the 1^st green at the Seacliff Village Golf Course.

The other branch of the pipe continues from South Road through the City of Mitcham to ovals at Flinders University, the Women’s Memorial Ground and St Mary’s Oval.

The treated stormwater is used at our own reserves as a priority, however surplus water is now being sold to third party customers.

They include the City of Mitcham, City of Holdfast Bay, Department for Education, Flinders University and the Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing.

The most recent extension was completed in December. Additional pumps to increase pressure and flow at Oaklands and at our Depot were installed early January. Testing of the system has been completed and has now been turned on.

Marion Mayor Kris Hanna said the business unit has been good value for the community.

“Upgrading the capacity for water supply from the wetlands is a financially viable means of helping to drought proof our region,” he said.

“In addition, we have customers lining up to buy our water.”

The City of Marion’s vision was to develop the Marion Water business unit into a self-sustaining and full cost recovery business. The recent extension will deliver against this primary objective.

Flinders University Vice-President (Corporate Services) and Chief Operating Officer Mark Gregory said the University is connecting its campuses to recycled water for watering sports fields, with many other great sustainability initiatives already planned.

“As part of the Flinders University Sustainability Plan to 2025, we’re reducing mains water usage at the Bedford Park campus by connecting to recycled water for irrigation and enhancing water efficiency across our operations. Through this pipeline project with the City of Marion, recycled water is delivered to the university’s ovals, helping us to further conserve precious drinkable water resources.”

“Flinders University has soared in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Sustainability Ranking to reach an impressive 42^nd in the world and 5^th in Australia for ‘environmental sustainability’ from more than 1000 universities globally.”

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