Sustainable Water Management for Urban Agriculture, Gardens and Public Open Space Irrigation: A Case Study in Perth
Affiliation(s)
1 Centre for Planning, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia. 2 Water Corporation, Perth, Australia.
1 Centre for Planning, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia. 2 Water Corporation, Perth, Australia.
ABSTRACT
Urban agriculture has been increasingly popular as a form of modern agriculture in urban settings. It includes community gardens, fruit orchards, home gardens, veggie patches, public open spaces, reserves, urban forest, and recreational landscaping. However, irrigation using urban water supply has been identified as a major constraints for the development of urban agriculture. This study presents a sustainable water management trial at Butler, a northern sub-urban development in Perth, Western Australia, for urban irrigation. The trial system consists of a number of water saving features including untreated fit-for-purpose groundwater supplied via a third pipe network, drip irrigation, local weather station, soil moisture sensors connected with a local weather station, night time irrigation, soil enhancement with conditioning and mulching, and use of native plants and vegetation. The trial outcome was compared against controlled areas in terms of irrigation efficiency and sustainable water management for urban agriculture. The study demonstrated that a fit-for-purpose irrigation along with water sensitive land management could be a sustainable alternative for urban agriculture that would achieve a significant water saving and irrigation efficiency at urban settings. However, quality of untreated groundwater can be an issue while utilizing it for irrigation, but the research has shown that it can be managed with innovative irrigation techniques. This indicates that the fit-for-purpose irrigation system with water sensitive land management practices would be highly supportive in sustainable development of urban agriculture, vegetation and recreational landscaping.
Urban agriculture has been increasingly popular as a form of modern agriculture in urban settings. It includes community gardens, fruit orchards, home gardens, veggie patches, public open spaces, reserves, urban forest, and recreational landscaping. However, irrigation using urban water supply has been identified as a major constraints for the development of urban agriculture. This study presents a sustainable water management trial at Butler, a northern sub-urban development in Perth, Western Australia, for urban irrigation. The trial system consists of a number of water saving features including untreated fit-for-purpose groundwater supplied via a third pipe network, drip irrigation, local weather station, soil moisture sensors connected with a local weather station, night time irrigation, soil enhancement with conditioning and mulching, and use of native plants and vegetation. The trial outcome was compared against controlled areas in terms of irrigation efficiency and sustainable water management for urban agriculture. The study demonstrated that a fit-for-purpose irrigation along with water sensitive land management could be a sustainable alternative for urban agriculture that would achieve a significant water saving and irrigation efficiency at urban settings. However, quality of untreated groundwater can be an issue while utilizing it for irrigation, but the research has shown that it can be managed with innovative irrigation techniques. This indicates that the fit-for-purpose irrigation system with water sensitive land management practices would be highly supportive in sustainable development of urban agriculture, vegetation and recreational landscaping.
Cite this paper
Dhakal, R. , Syme, G. , Andre, E. and Sabato, C. (2015) Sustainable Water Management for Urban Agriculture, Gardens and Public Open Space Irrigation: A Case Study in Perth. Agricultural Sciences, 6, 676-685. doi: 10.4236/as.2015.67065.
Dhakal, R. , Syme, G. , Andre, E. and Sabato, C. (2015) Sustainable Water Management for Urban Agriculture, Gardens and Public Open Space Irrigation: A Case Study in Perth. Agricultural Sciences, 6, 676-685. doi: 10.4236/as.2015.67065.
References
[1] Mougeot, L.J.A. (2010) Agropolis: The Social, Political and Environmental Dimensions of Urban Agriculture. IDRC, London. [2] Zezza, A. and Tasciotti, L. (2010) Urban Agriculture, Poverty, and Food Security: Empirical Evidence from a Sample of Developing Countries. Food Policy, 35, 265-273.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2010.04.007 [3] Urban Agriculture Australia (2013) What Is Urban Agriculture and Why It Is Important? Urban Agriculture Australia, Canberra. [4] Nolasco, J. (2013) Sustainable Water Management for Urban Agriculture: Planting Justice. Pacific Institute, Oakland. [5] Lin, B.B., Philpott, S.M. and Jha, S. (2015) The Future of Urban Agriculture and Biodiversity-Ecosystem Services: Challenges and Next Steps. Basic and Applied Ecology, 16, 189-201.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.baae.2015.01.005 [6] Lin, B.B. and Fuller, R.A. (2013) FORUM: Sharing or Sparing? How Should We Grow the World’s Cities? Journal of Applied Ecology, 50, 1161-1168. [7] Lwasa, S., Mugagga, F., Wahab, B., Simon, D., Connors, J.P. and Griffith, C. (2015) A Meta-Analysis of Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture and Forestry in Mediating Climate Change. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 13, 68-73.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2015.02.003 [8] Lovell, S.T. (2010) Multifunctional Urban Agriculture for Sustainable Land Use Planning in the United States. Sustainability, 2, 2499-2522.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su2082499 [9] Guendel, S. and Richards, W. (2002) Peri-Urban and Urban Livestock Keeping in East Africa—A Coping Strategy for the Poor, Scoping Study Commissioned by DFID. Natural Resources Institute, Aylesford. [10] Nugent, R. (2000) The Impact of Urban Agriculture on the Household and Local Economies. In: Bakker, N., Dubbeling, M., Gündel, S., Sabel-Koshella, U. and de Zeeuw, H., Eds., Growing Cities, Growing Food. Urban Agriculture on the Policy Agenda, Zentralstelle für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft (ZEL), Feldafing, 67-95. [11] Mok, H.-F., Williamson, V., Grove, J., Burry, K., Barker, S.F. and Hamilton, A.J. (2014) Strawberry Fields Forever? Urban Agriculture in Developed Countries: A Review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 34, 21-43.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13593-013-0156-7 [12] Cohen, N. and Reynolds, K. (2015) Resource Needs for a Socially Just and Sustainable Urban Agriculture System: Lessons from New York City. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 30, 103-114.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1742170514000210 [13] Water Corporation (2010) Perth Residential Water Use Study 2008/2009. Water Corporation, Perth. [14] Western Australian Planning Commission (2008) Better Urban Water Management. Western Australian Planning Commission, Perth. [15] Water Corporation (2009) Water Forever: Towards Climate Resilience. Water Corporation, Perth. [16] Smith, A., Pollock, D. and McFarlane, D. (2005) Opportunity for Additional Self Supply of Groundwater from the Superficial Aquifer beneath Metropolitan Perth. CSIRO: Water for a Healthy Country National Research Flagship, Canberra. [17] Hurlimann, A. (2008) Community Attitudes to Recycled Water Use: An Urban Australian Case Study Part 2. CRC for Water Quality and Treatment, Salisbury. [18] Barron, O., Wendling, L., Tucker, D., Green, M., Devkota, B. and Donn, M. (2010) Investigation of Techniques to Better Manage Western Australia’s Non-Potable Water Resources. CSIRO: Water for a Healthy Country National Research Flagship, Canberra. [19] Wong, T.H. (2007) Water Sensitive Urban Design—The Journey Thus Far. Australian Journal of Water Resources, 10, 213-222. [20] Po, M., Nancarrow, B.E., Leviston, Z., Porter, N.B., Syme, G.J. and Kaercher, J.D. (2005) Predicting Community Behaviour in Relation to Wastewater Reuse: What Drives Decisions to Accept or Reject? CSIRO: Water for a Healthy Country National Research Flagship, Perth. [21] Nancarrow, B.E., Leviston, Z., Po, M., Porter, N.B. and Tucker, D.I. (2008) What Drives Communities’ Decisions and Behaviours in the Reuse of Wastewater. Water Science and Technology, 57, 485-491.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.2008.160 [22] Davis, C. and Farrelly, M. (2009) Demonstration Projects: Case Studies form Perth, Australia. National Urban Water Governance Program, Monash University, Melbourne. [23] Davis, C. and Farrelly, M. (2009) Demonstration Projects: Case Studies form Melbourne, Australia. National Urban Water Governance Program, Monash University, Melbourne. [24] Davis, C. and Farrelly, M. (2009) Demonstration Projects: Case Studies form South East Queensland, Australia. National Urban Water Governance Program, Monash University, Melbourne. [25] Department of Water (2010) Predicting the Future Demand for Water Resources in Western Australia. Department of Water, Perth. [26] Dzidic, P. and Green, M. (2012) Outdoing the Joneses: Understanding Community Acceptance of an Alternative Water Supply Scheme and Sustainable Urban Design. Landscape and Urban Planning, 105, 266-273.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2011.12.023 [27] Water Corporation (2005) Integrated Water Supply Scheme Source Development Plan 2005: Planning Horizon 2005-2050. Water Corporation, Perth. [28] Water Corporation (2007) Memorandum of Understanding: “The Green” at Brighton (Brighton Village 4) Superficial Groundwater Demonstration Project. Water Corporation, Perth. [29] Water Corporation (2007) Brighton Superficial Groundwater Supply Demonstration Project: Health Risk Management Plan. Water Corporation, Perth. [30] Satterley Property Group (2010) The End to the Waste of Precious Water Starts Here: Smartwater Initiative, The Green. Satterley Property Group, Perth. [31] Western Australian Planning Commission (2007) Liveable Neighbourhood: A Western Australian Government Sustainable Cities Initiatives. Western Australian Planning Commission, Perth. [32] Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013) 2011 Census Population and Housing: Greater Perth—Basic Community Profile (Catalogue Number 2001.0). Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra. [33] Water Corporation (2015) Reducing Water Use. Water Corporation, Perth. [34] Water Corporation (2015) Exemptions. Water Corporation, Perth. [35] GHD (2006) Satterley Property Group: Report on Brighton Stage 4. Hydrological Assessment. GHD, Perth.
[1] Mougeot, L.J.A. (2010) Agropolis: The Social, Political and Environmental Dimensions of Urban Agriculture. IDRC, London. [2] Zezza, A. and Tasciotti, L. (2010) Urban Agriculture, Poverty, and Food Security: Empirical Evidence from a Sample of Developing Countries. Food Policy, 35, 265-273.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2010.04.007 [3] Urban Agriculture Australia (2013) What Is Urban Agriculture and Why It Is Important? Urban Agriculture Australia, Canberra. [4] Nolasco, J. (2013) Sustainable Water Management for Urban Agriculture: Planting Justice. Pacific Institute, Oakland. [5] Lin, B.B., Philpott, S.M. and Jha, S. (2015) The Future of Urban Agriculture and Biodiversity-Ecosystem Services: Challenges and Next Steps. Basic and Applied Ecology, 16, 189-201.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.baae.2015.01.005 [6] Lin, B.B. and Fuller, R.A. (2013) FORUM: Sharing or Sparing? How Should We Grow the World’s Cities? Journal of Applied Ecology, 50, 1161-1168. [7] Lwasa, S., Mugagga, F., Wahab, B., Simon, D., Connors, J.P. and Griffith, C. (2015) A Meta-Analysis of Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture and Forestry in Mediating Climate Change. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 13, 68-73.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2015.02.003 [8] Lovell, S.T. (2010) Multifunctional Urban Agriculture for Sustainable Land Use Planning in the United States. Sustainability, 2, 2499-2522.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su2082499 [9] Guendel, S. and Richards, W. (2002) Peri-Urban and Urban Livestock Keeping in East Africa—A Coping Strategy for the Poor, Scoping Study Commissioned by DFID. Natural Resources Institute, Aylesford. [10] Nugent, R. (2000) The Impact of Urban Agriculture on the Household and Local Economies. In: Bakker, N., Dubbeling, M., Gündel, S., Sabel-Koshella, U. and de Zeeuw, H., Eds., Growing Cities, Growing Food. Urban Agriculture on the Policy Agenda, Zentralstelle für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft (ZEL), Feldafing, 67-95. [11] Mok, H.-F., Williamson, V., Grove, J., Burry, K., Barker, S.F. and Hamilton, A.J. (2014) Strawberry Fields Forever? Urban Agriculture in Developed Countries: A Review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 34, 21-43.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13593-013-0156-7 [12] Cohen, N. and Reynolds, K. (2015) Resource Needs for a Socially Just and Sustainable Urban Agriculture System: Lessons from New York City. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 30, 103-114.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1742170514000210 [13] Water Corporation (2010) Perth Residential Water Use Study 2008/2009. Water Corporation, Perth. [14] Western Australian Planning Commission (2008) Better Urban Water Management. Western Australian Planning Commission, Perth. [15] Water Corporation (2009) Water Forever: Towards Climate Resilience. Water Corporation, Perth. [16] Smith, A., Pollock, D. and McFarlane, D. (2005) Opportunity for Additional Self Supply of Groundwater from the Superficial Aquifer beneath Metropolitan Perth. CSIRO: Water for a Healthy Country National Research Flagship, Canberra. [17] Hurlimann, A. (2008) Community Attitudes to Recycled Water Use: An Urban Australian Case Study Part 2. CRC for Water Quality and Treatment, Salisbury. [18] Barron, O., Wendling, L., Tucker, D., Green, M., Devkota, B. and Donn, M. (2010) Investigation of Techniques to Better Manage Western Australia’s Non-Potable Water Resources. CSIRO: Water for a Healthy Country National Research Flagship, Canberra. [19] Wong, T.H. (2007) Water Sensitive Urban Design—The Journey Thus Far. Australian Journal of Water Resources, 10, 213-222. [20] Po, M., Nancarrow, B.E., Leviston, Z., Porter, N.B., Syme, G.J. and Kaercher, J.D. (2005) Predicting Community Behaviour in Relation to Wastewater Reuse: What Drives Decisions to Accept or Reject? CSIRO: Water for a Healthy Country National Research Flagship, Perth. [21] Nancarrow, B.E., Leviston, Z., Po, M., Porter, N.B. and Tucker, D.I. (2008) What Drives Communities’ Decisions and Behaviours in the Reuse of Wastewater. Water Science and Technology, 57, 485-491.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.2008.160 [22] Davis, C. and Farrelly, M. (2009) Demonstration Projects: Case Studies form Perth, Australia. National Urban Water Governance Program, Monash University, Melbourne. [23] Davis, C. and Farrelly, M. (2009) Demonstration Projects: Case Studies form Melbourne, Australia. National Urban Water Governance Program, Monash University, Melbourne. [24] Davis, C. and Farrelly, M. (2009) Demonstration Projects: Case Studies form South East Queensland, Australia. National Urban Water Governance Program, Monash University, Melbourne. [25] Department of Water (2010) Predicting the Future Demand for Water Resources in Western Australia. Department of Water, Perth. [26] Dzidic, P. and Green, M. (2012) Outdoing the Joneses: Understanding Community Acceptance of an Alternative Water Supply Scheme and Sustainable Urban Design. Landscape and Urban Planning, 105, 266-273.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2011.12.023 [27] Water Corporation (2005) Integrated Water Supply Scheme Source Development Plan 2005: Planning Horizon 2005-2050. Water Corporation, Perth. [28] Water Corporation (2007) Memorandum of Understanding: “The Green” at Brighton (Brighton Village 4) Superficial Groundwater Demonstration Project. Water Corporation, Perth. [29] Water Corporation (2007) Brighton Superficial Groundwater Supply Demonstration Project: Health Risk Management Plan. Water Corporation, Perth. [30] Satterley Property Group (2010) The End to the Waste of Precious Water Starts Here: Smartwater Initiative, The Green. Satterley Property Group, Perth. [31] Western Australian Planning Commission (2007) Liveable Neighbourhood: A Western Australian Government Sustainable Cities Initiatives. Western Australian Planning Commission, Perth. [32] Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013) 2011 Census Population and Housing: Greater Perth—Basic Community Profile (Catalogue Number 2001.0). Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra. [33] Water Corporation (2015) Reducing Water Use. Water Corporation, Perth. [34] Water Corporation (2015) Exemptions. Water Corporation, Perth. [35] GHD (2006) Satterley Property Group: Report on Brighton Stage 4. Hydrological Assessment. GHD, Perth.