WSUD asset performance assessment: City of Casey
Case study: Enhancing urban water management
To ensure optimal functionality of WSUD assets and prevent issues such as vegetation health, inlet/outlet performance, Wave Consulting conducted a comprehensive WSUD asset audit for the City of Casey.
Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) asset performance audit
Wurundjeri and Bunurong lands, Melbourne
Key facts
>140 WSUD assets to audit
Without maintenance, WSUD assets may encounter functional issues
The problem
City of Casey has over 140 Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) assets, which are crucial to reducing stormwater pollution and mitigating downstream flooding. These assets, often integrated as part of new developments to comply with the Victorian Planning Provisions, require regular maintenance to function effectively. The council aims to assess the current condition of these WSUD assets and determine the best strategies for their rectification to ensure they achieve their intended performance.
Without proper maintenance, WSUD assets may encounter functional issues, including problems with:
vegetation cover and health
inlet/outlet performance
sediment accumulation
leaf litter
potential physical damage or safety concerns.
When WSUD assets are not functioning properly, they can exacerbate flooding issues, disrupting traffic and limiting access to residential areas.
“Wave audited a series of specific WSUD assets for us recently to build capacity in assessing the asset condition and performance. They provided recommendations to improve the function of these assets located across our established and growth areas. The report prepared by Wave enabled us to better understand the required level of maintenance tasks to ensure functionality and longevity of these assets.”
The solution
Wave Consulting Australia provided a comprehensive solution for the City of Casey by conducting a performance assessment (audit) of selected WSUD assets. The objective was to identify and recommend the necessary maintenance and renewal works to ensure these assets meet community needs and function optimally.
In May 2023, we completed the audit, utilising the Melbourne Water WSUD Maintenance Guidelines to ensure accurate and consistent condition assessments.
Our thorough review of 10 WSUD assets indicated that most were in average condition. We recommended targeted maintenance interventions to restore these assets to their optimal state, thereby enhancing their performance and reliability.
-
Bar chart: Cost ranges on levels of service (by asset type)
X axis: Asset types (listed in order of maintenance costs)
Retarding basins (4)
Sediment basins (13)
Wetlands (4)
Water bodies (16)
Raingardens (30)
Swales (64)
Each asset type has a:
max budget to allow for high level of service
budget to maintain assets based on risk rating
budget for minimum level of service.
Note: Swales have large budget due to assumptio that Lynbrook are high risk assets.
Y axis: Annual costs for maintenance (removed for privacy)
The outcome
As a result of the detailed audit review, the City of Casey received a comprehensive assessment of several identified WSUD assets. This included their current condition and the necessary maintenance required to restore their intended performance.
Key recommendations provided included:
allocating budget for the rectification of several assets
reviewing the capacity of internal Council teams to maintain all WSUD assets
sharing findings with Melbourne Water for collaborative insights and support.
Need a water solution?
Contact us to explore how we can help.
Keep exploring
