Optimal Stormwater and City of Sydney have been awarded the Stormwater National Award in the category of Excellence in Asset Management.

The project, Knowledge, Integration and Commitment – How the City of Sydney and Optimal Stormwater have massively enhanced Stormwater Asset Management to Protect one of Australia’s Greatest Jewels 

This project had the following key elements:

  • GPT Auditing (with Reports, Data Sheets, custom cleaning specs and Rectification Spreadsheet)
  • Auditing all of the CoS GPTs, but also many of the private ones.
  • Stormwater Harvesting Audit, upgrade, then ongoing O&M for water sustainability
  • GPT Rectifications and upgrade program (commenced 2019…)
  • Review and optimisation of the GPT Cleaning program and reporting requirements
  • Training and instruction of the cleaning contractors to get better results
  • MUSIC modelling of the whole of the City of Sydney municipality, recreated from scratch
  • Auditing of the raingardens for insertion into the modelling
  • Concept Planning for new GPTs and stormwater harvesting locations to meet 2030 targets, and
  • Having the Managers from Parks, Infrastructure, Sustainability and Maintenance all in the GPT Audit outcome presentation, making a commitment to fund the necessary works to actually have a hope of meeting the City’s proclaimed targets for stormwater pollution entering the Harbour, and water sustainability objectives.
  • Managers acknowledging the array of issue to be addressed, and then actually addressing them with on-ground solutions.

Murray Powell headed up the project at Optimal Stormwater and said …..” It was inspirational working with a couple of champions at City of Sydney, focused on solving problems and getting outcomes on the ground.  We’re excited and very proud to have been acknowledged with this Award”.

The judges noted that the innovation excellence was in the people involved.  This project won ‘because of the individuals from City of Sydney & Optimal Stormwater who went above and beyond the job scope, and drove the needed change and long term investment – leveraging a call to action that will lead to tangible outcomes for Sydney Harbour’.