Built Environment

Design underpins urban areas' impacts on local environments. In many catchments, wetlands, creeks and estuaries depend hugely on urban design: sustainability is expressed in a practical way in design.

Strategically, water cycle management and water sensitive urban design play central roles. Operationally, the choices of specific devices are central.

There is a wide variety of devices and operational practices to choose from. The art and science is in making locally appropriate choices. Devices can be configured in different ways, and, for a given location, the most effective device may be a combination of the devices documented here. We encourage exploring how different designs and practices fit, don't fit, and may be modified to fit, the specific circumstances that you are designing for. (The catchment audit protocol will help you scope what local ecosystems need. The directory of aquatic ecosystems provides more detail on the science and management.)

Guidelines to Treatment Devices and Techniques
Devices and Practices
Device and Practice Selection

Guidelines to Treatment Devices and Techniques

Australia

Treatment Devices for Water Sensitive Urban Design (Melbourne Water)
This is a comprehensive site which details the various types of stormwater treatment devices and provides guidance on appropriate selection, design and costing.

Treatment Techniques for Managing Urban Stormwater (DECC, NSW)
A guide to the designing of common treatment techniques including appropriate formulae, implementation guidelines and basic diagrams.

Nonstructural stormwater quality best management practices (pdf) (CRC Catchment Hydrology)
"research into the use, value, cost and evaluation of nonstructural best management practices to improve urban stormwater quality (non-structural BMPs). Such BMPs include town planning controls, strategic planning and institutional controls, pollution prevention procedures, education and participation programs, and regulatory controls."

United States

Stormwater Best Management Practice (BMP) Handbooks (California Stormwater Quality Association)
An excellent, very comprehensive account of best management practices.

Stormwater Manager's Resource Center (USA)
Includes many fact sheets on urban stormwater management devices and practices. [Select "Fact Sheets" from the contents list on the left hand side.]

Low Impact Development Design Tools (US)
"tools and techniques that can be used to meet regulatory and receiving water protection program goals for urban retrofits, re-development projects, and new development sites."
[Requires Microsoft Internet Explorer to work properly.]

Protecting Water Quality in Urban Areas — A Manual (Minnesota)
"a manual [...] to help local government officials, urban planners, developers, contractors and citizens prevent stormwater-related pollution"

International Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMP) Database
A searchable database of best management practices. Over 200 BMPs documented.

Devices and practices (Built Environment)

Source controls	Water conservation
Site design Road design Industry operations Maintenance practices	Water saving fixtures Waterless urinals Irrigation and garden watering Greywater reuse Blackwater reuse
Stormwater Reuse	Redirecting Flow
Rainwater tanks Irrigation and Garden Watering Aquifer Recharge	Pipes, Drains and Channels Outlets and Spreaders
Reducing flows	Water quality treatment
Rooftop controls Stormwater Reuse Onsite Detention Tanks Detention Basins Infiltration Systems Porous Pavement Landscaping	Wetlands and wetponds Bioretention Sand / inorganic filtration Litter Control Hydrocarbon separators Gross Pollutant Traps Swales Buffer Strips
Education and Regulation	Construction sites
Business and industry Community	Site management Surface stabilisation Flow management Water quality treatment Regulation and education

Device and Practice Selection

Ecological Contexts (Urbanwater.info)

Strategic Water Management Plans

Developing Plans (Urbanwater.info)

Existing Plans (Urbanwater.info)
- Catchment Management (NSW)
- Stormwater Management (NSW)

Ecological Functions of Devices and Practices (Urbanwater.info)

Device and Practice Selection Guidelines (Urbanwater.info)

Checking in ...

We suggest taking time to check whether your current engineering approach sits well - what kind of sense it makes, and what sits uncomfortably or uneasily or is unclear ... where you might like to take it ...

This is a practical application of 'listening to ourselves' - allowing our tacit, implicit, knowledge ... our 'feel' for what is going on to inform what we do ... As Polanyi, Gendlin and others have underlined, we each know more than it is easy to say.

For more on how to 'use gut feel skillfully', see Listening to ourselves.

Does your engineering approach make ecological sense? What ecological effects will these works have?	Ecological contexts Environmental and socioeconomic systems analysis
Have you considered who has a stake in your engineering program?	Stakeholder analysis
When your engineering approach is innovative (for your organisation), the design and construct process can be used to build your organisational capacity to do more work of this kind. All this needs is a different approach to project management.	Capacity building
Have you considered how you will evaluate the ecological performance of your engineering works?	Ecological performance
Have you contemplated sourcing additional funds so you can take a more innovative approach?	Funding and financing

Built Environment