Although the east coast of Australia has been getting a does of wet weather recently its long term water sustainability is not secure. Especially around major population centres like Sydney, the country’s most populous city. Now it seems like an unusual rainwater harvesting scheme for the centre business district (CBD) is finally going ahead.

The project, which commenced last week, is to use large rainwater tanks built atop of Parliament House, the State Library and Sydney Hospital. These hold 60,000 litres each, but the water will be fed into St James Lake, which is really an old unused railway tunnel under the city. About 1km long, 10m wide and 5m deep, it’s expected to hold over 17 million litres of water, that will in time be pressed into service for the city’s gardens and toilets, instead of using vital drinking water.

Expected to cost $110,000 AUD this project is one of 72 stormwater harvesting, groundwater and recycling projects costing the state around $40 million. It’s not the first time the disused tunnel has be reused. During WWII it is rumoured to have served as US General Douglas MacArthur’s Pacific headquarters for a time. Via ::ABC

pic from urbantwilight.net

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