Integrated Water
Water is a critical and increasingly constrained resource for the Mount Barker District. Rapid population growth, expanding urban development and climate change are placing growing pressure on stormwater systems, waterways, irrigation demands and downstream environments. How water is planned, managed and reused will be central to water security, reliability, reducing flood risk, supporting liveability, protecting ecosystems and managing long-term infrastructure costs.
Key pressures on water
- Declining surface and groundwater quality
- Watercourse health
- Increased residential and commercial water use
- Pollution of stormwater in industrial areas within Mount Barker and Littlehampton
- Pollution of stormwater from residential developments, especially in the Mount Barker, Littlehampton and Nairne areas.
Read the Integrated Water Action Plan 2026–2030 here
Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD)
WSUD integrates water considerations into urban design and development, using natural systems and green infrastructure to slow, store, treat and reuse water. This includes measures such as rain gardens, detention basins, permeable surfaces and integrated irrigation, supporting cooling, waterway health and more resilient public spaces. Council is a member of Water Sensitive SA which supports government, industry and community to mainstream water sensitive urban design and integrated water management practices that enhance wellbeing and ecological health.
What is Council doing to protect Water?
There are a number of ways whereby Council works to manage water resources throughout the district. This includes through rehabilitating urban watercourses such as Mount Barker creek, reducing water use in parks and gardens through the use of recycled water, more efficient irrigation practices and the use of low water use and local native species in landscaping.
Council planners and engineers are working with developers to ensure WSUD is incorporated within new developments wherever possible and Council projects are increasingly incorporating WSUD features. The Summit Aquatic and Leisure Centre is a recent example of where WSUD has been implemented in a council project.
The popular Laratinga wetland is an award winning, treated wastewater wetland that has become a haven for local biodiversity and a valuable recreation and community asset.
To see how to conserve water at your property or neighbourhood check out the Living Sustainably virtual community.
Landscapes SA Hills and Fleurieu is responsible for guidance on caring for rivers, creeks and wetlands and for water permits and licensing. For more information visit the Landscape Hills and Fleurieu website.
Watercourse Management Plan for Mount Barker
To guide the rehabilitation of watercourses in Mount Barker, Council has endorsed the Watercourse Management Plan.
