By Paul Hemsley

Councils will collaborate with the South Australian government on a strategy to improve capturing and reusing stormwater in Adelaide.

The plan will include nine actions for urban design, identifying changes to infrastructure, minimising flooding risk, and improving management.

Minister for Water Paul Caica said the plan will harvest 20000 million litres per year of storm water in Greater Adelaide by 2013, and 60000 million litres per year in the longer term.

“The strategy highlights how individual urban water resources can no longer be managed in isolation,” Mr Caica said.

He said stormwater should not be managed independently of wastewater and “strong flood-mitigation measures” must be included into urban design.

According to Local Government Association of South Australia (LGASA) CEO Wendy Campana, there will be a closer working relationship between councils and state government agencies.

Ms Campana said the Department for Water will take a “lead role” for State Government policy in relation to stormwater management and flood mitigation.

She said the role of the Stormwater Management Authority should also be "clarified and enhanced".

According to Ms Campana, floods and other extreme weather events in councils such as Clare and Gilbert Valley, Orroroo Carieton, Peterborough, Goyder and Barossa demonstrate a “very real need to manage drought and flood situations”.

“These Councils have relatively small projects funded through the Federal Government's Cities and Towns program managed by the Local Government Association,” she said.

Larger council projects in the metropolitan area include Onkaparinga, Charles Sturt, Tea Tree Gully, Salisbury, and Playford.

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