Wastewater

A major part of our water management is our Community Wastewater Management Scheme (CWMS). We collect wastewater via a series of gravity drains which are then pumped to a wastewater treatment plant. After successful treatment, water is then stored in lined storage lagoons to be reused during summer.

Alexandrina Council currently owns and operates five CWMS schemes which are located in Goolwa/Hindmarsh Island, Port Elliot, Milang, Mount Compass and Strathalbyn.

We are proud to announce that Alexandrina Council does not discharge any domestic wastewater into waterways. 100% of domestic wastewater collected by Council’s CWMS is treated and recycled. This equates to around 500ML of wastewater being reused each year.

Recycled wastewater is used to irrigate reserves, golf courses, racecourses and local turf farms to help with the reduction of mains water and River Murray water usage.

Storm Water

Alexandrina Council’s primary water management objectives are water security for our community, minimising risk to property and life, conserving water and enhancing the sustainability of our water ways.

We are committed to reduce our consumption of mains water and we have invested in stormwater and wastewater reuse networks. As a result major areas of open space within some communities are now independent of mains water. We have also upgraded and incorporated water efficiency, harvesting and reuse measures into new and existing council buildings and facilities.

With stormwater a valuable resource that can be treated, we incorporate Water Sensitive Urban Design Strategies in new developments to increase the volume of stormwater infiltration and reducing the amount of polluted runoff into our waterways. Alexandrina Council has constructed significant number of stormwater ponds and urban wetlands which form part of our stormwater reuse network. These include the North Parade Wetland, Strath Hub Wetland, Pipers Crest Wetland and Aberdeen Park Wetland at Strathalbyn, the Sam Court Reserve Wetland at Mount Compass, the Kessel Road Wetland and Murray Smith, Albury Lane and Birchall Road Ornamental Lakes at Goolwa, the Vanali Drive Wetland System and Lakala Reserve Pond at Port Elliot and the Dragonfly Boulevard Wetland at Beyond.

These wetlands have been built together with developers to help with flood control and they function as water filters by removing pollutants from stormwater and now provide an environment for native flora and fauna.