Water Sensitive Planning and Design

Abstract

Water sensitive planning became emerging as a designing approach recently, which involves sustainable management of water resources and uses from building lot to catchment area. This approach does not only rely on acclimating peak flows, minimizing water pollution and wastewater reuse, but it extends to use and to maintain natural water resources safely and efficiently. Climate change challenges, the efficiency of the existing urban water networks, and posing the need to cope with the new patterns in both floods and droughts situations. New management practices and solutions will be presented in this chapter to increase the efficiency of existing urban water network and/or to planning sustainable solution. Measures to minimize the environmental impacts of urbanization in terms of water supply and pollution threats to natural water resources should be adopted (Allison et al. in Environ Manage 42:344–359, 2008 [1]). Four main steps for developers are needed to apply Water Sensitive Design. First, develop an efficient plan to treat the ambient water, to decrease its pollution, and protect it from any future pollution or over-exploitation. Second, increase public awareness to efficiently use of available water and to minimize expected pollution, and to secure public support of wastewater reuse based on purpose (agriculture and landscaping). Third, collect urban storm water and to safeguard its quality for discharge to water bodies. Finally, to present sustainable solutions for holistic management of water resources by mimicking the natural system to minimize negative impacts on water cycle and receiving waterways, recharge groundwater, and bays. This chapter will present water sensitive design of best practices design and management at developed and developing countries.