Water

When the Library car park was constructed in 2009 it was constructed according to water sensitive urban design principles (WSUD). The car park was designed and built by Council staff.

Runoff from car parks and roads typically contains pollutants such as hydrocarbons (oils) and heavy metal particles. WSUD is a different way of constructing a drainage system to ensure that stormwater is filtered before it enters into a waterway or groundwater. WSUD systems also reduce the amount of minor flooding in waterways, thus reducing damaging erosion in waterways.

‘Sid’s Lid’ is a gross pollutant trap, and example of WSUD in action. Gross pollutant traps capture large pollutants in stormwater such as drink bottles, chip packets and leaf litter, stopping them from getting into Mount Gambier’s groundwater. View a short video about the cleaning out of Sid’s Lid below.

The Library car park incorporates porous pavement , vegetated swales, and a wetland in order to filter the car park runoff before it enters the local groundwater system, thus preventing pollutants from entering the Blue Lake groundwater system.

Schematic of the Library car park WSUD drainage system

Detailed Schematic of the porpous pavements and vegetated swales

Library Car Park

Vegetated Swale with porpous paving abutting the concrete

The Blue Lake is one of the most recognisable features of the South East of South Australia. It is also the feature on which Mount Gambier and the surrounding community rely for the supply of water for households and industry. The high quality water and appearance of the Blue Lake is also important for tourism in the area. The Blue Lake and regional groundwater is one of the main reasons for the strength and prosperity of the region.

Find out how you can help protect the Blue Lake at Landscape South Australia – Limestone Coast.