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Information about allocation plans, which set out how much water can be reliably taken from groundwater and surface water sources for productive purposes while ensuring the sustainability of the resource and protection of the water-dependent environment.

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Information about wastewater recycling, water efficiencies and the use of fit-for-purpose water. Recycling is encouraged whenever it is socially, economically and environmentally acceptable to make smart use of waste water for the ongoing development of the State.

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Garden bores are small domestic groundwater bores for private garden irrigation. Click here for more information about your garden bore, licence exemptions and being ‘bore water-wise’ in your garden.

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Information on the state’s groundwater resources, locations, investigations, aquifer recharge and sustainable management of water resources, including an overview of state groundwater investigations.

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There are 166 estuaries in Western Australia as established through the National Land and Water Resources Audit (NLWRA) 2000, where an estuary is defined as

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Stormwater

Stormwater is a term used to describe water flowing over ground surfaces and in natural streams and drains as a direct result of rainfall over a catchment. Stormwater consists of rainfall runoff and any material, soluble or insoluble, that gets swept up in its flow.

Where there is a superficial aquifer, drainage channels can include both stormwater from surface runoff, and groundwater that has been deliberately intercepted by the drains.

Managing stormwater better

Stormwater management systems should be designed to:

  • protect public health and safety
  • protect public and private infrastructure and buildings
  • protect and restore the health of waterways, estuaries, wetlands and oceans
  • improve the liveability of urban communities.

When conventional urban development occurs, most of the soil and vegetation is replaced with impervious surfaces such as roads, carparks, houses and other buildings.

Increased imperviousness results in less rainfall infiltration into the soil and ultimately provides less water to replenish the local groundwater aquifers. It also increases the volume and speed of stormwater runoff produced by rainfall.

The increased runoff raises the risk of flooding of houses, roads, parks and downstream environments and increases the amount of pollutants discharged into waterways, estuaries, wetlands and oceans.

Many ecosystems rely on stormwater to contribute to the recharge of groundwater. This recharge is also important to replenish groundwater that we use for scheme water supplies, agriculture, industry and irrigating gardens and public open spaces.

Conventional urban drainage systems were designed to reduce local flooding by channelling stormwater and intercepted shallow groundwater quickly into waterways, estuaries, wetlands, oceans or basins. However, this often has damaging environmental and social consequences, such as algal blooms that can kill wildlife and prevent recreational use of water.

Water-sensitive approach 

To manage stormwater better, urban drainage systems should mimic natural water cycle processes wherever possible, with the aim of creating water-sensitive cities and communities.

This water-sensitive approach includes site-responsive designs that manage small rainfall events as close to the runoff source as practical, includes vegetation within the urban landscape and within drainage management systems, replaces impervious surfaces with pervious surfaces, provides overland flow paths, and retains natural water bodies and natural drainage flow paths.

Stormwater management roles

The Department of Water’s role in stormwater management is to provide floodplain mapping for major river systems, prepare drainage and water management plans. In addition, we provide Western Australian stormwater management principles, criteria and guidelines, and assess urban development proposals.

In Western Australia, local governments are responsible for managing local drainage networks. Local governments assess urban development proposals, construct local road and drainage systems, and maintain drainage networks. Please refer to the latest version of the Local Government Guidelines for Subdivisional Development (Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia WA Division Inc. 2012) for local government subdivision and drainage management guidelines.

The Water Corporation is one of the key service providers for urban main drainage infrastructure in parts of the Perth metropolitan region, while also responsible for rural arterial drains in some parts of the south-west of Western Australia. The Water Corporation assesses urban development proposals if they are located in a drainage catchment area that contains Water Corporation drainage infrastructure.

Further information

  • To access detailed information about how to manage stormwater, see the Stormwater management manual for Western Australia
  • The Decision process for stormwater management in WA
  • For summary information on stormwater management and water sensitive urban design, see the water sensitive urban design brochures

Related information

Report for Potential Use of Stormwater in the Perth Region. Quantity and Storage Assessment

Page last updated - 29 Jul 2016
4.2.3.1N
Stormwater


Contact us

Department of Water and Environmental Regulation

Related publications

Stormwater management manual

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The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation was established by the Government of Western Australia on 1 July 2017. It is a result of the amalgamation of the Department of Environment Regulation, Department of Water and the Office of the Environmental Protection Authority. This website/publication may contain references to previous government departments and programs. Please contact the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation to clarify any specific information.

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