A comprehensive discussion of the benefits, required planning, design, implementation, and operation of community bores.
Design Scale: District, Lot, Precinct
Across Perth, domestic gardens are generally watered using either potable scheme water, or unlicensed, domestic garden bores. Studies have identified that more than 40 per cent of household scheme water is used on gardens, and that water usage from garden bores can be up to four times higher than scheme water used on domestic gardens. A community bore can be an effective alternative for private garden watering and irrigation of communal green spaces.
A community bore can be a water-efficient alternative for providing water for non-drinking purposes, provided that enough groundwater is available, and that overall water use is lower than it would be with a mix of scheme and garden bore irrigation. A community bore is a bore or multiple bores that deliver groundwater to several properties for non-drinking uses. The water is delivered via a third pipe (or purple pipe) network throughout the development.
Where a sustainable source of groundwater is available, these systems help form integrated water management solutions in urban environments when implemented with water efficiency measures. However, the complexity of these systems requires careful planning, design and implementation to be effective.
Our focus areas
Supporting community wellbeing and healthy environments within resilient and sustainable places throughout Western Australia.
