New Milestone for Salisbury’s wetlands

The City of Salisbury’s world-famous wetlands will soon supply their 140th park, reserve or oval with recycled water.

Kiekebusch Reserve in Gulfview Heights will push the Council’s recycled water business Salisbury Water over the milestone in coming months when it is hooked up to the network.

The milestone coincides with World Wetlands Day on February 2 and comes amid increasing evidence of the cooling effect green spaces and wetlands provide for urban areas.

Salisbury has the most extensive network of wetlands of any metropolitan council in Australia, with 50 individual wetlands covering more than 300Ha.

Council’s Mayor Gillian Aldridge said the wetlands also provided flood protection and prevented hundreds of tonnes of litter and pollutants flowing into the Barker Inlet and Adelaide’s coastal waters through stormwater each year.

“The wetlands are a legacy of the foresight of Council more than 40 years ago when it began investing harvesting stormwater through wetlands,” she said.

“Through continued investment and foresight, today we have an established robust ecosystem that provides habitat for 160 species of birds and animals, allowing them to thrive in the wetland environment.”

Last year Council provided 2,364 million litres of this recycled water to schools, open space and more than 100 businesses.

Kiekebusch will be the 140th open space in Salisbury to be greened using wetlands harvested water, and, adjoining Gulfview Heights Primary School will become the 33rd school on Salisbury’s Water’s books.

Mayor Aldridge said Salisbury Water saves ratepayers and business in Salisbury more than $2.8 million last financial year on water costs compared to mains water .

She said the success of the wetlands were also a result of cooperation with universities, research groups, business and the community.

The Wetlands are available for guided and self-guided tours.

/Public Release.