Australian consortium to undertake pilot project in China Sponge City initiative

JINAN, China - Six Australian companies have forged a consortium as part of China’s Sponge City initiative and have opened an office in the Shandong capital, Jinan.

The six members of the South Australian consortium include Syntec Global, Alano Water, Water Data Services, Aqueon, Hassell and Australian Water Environments.

Called the Australia China Sponge City Consortium, work is expected to begin on a pilot project in Jinan later this year.

China’s ‘sponge city’ initiative was set up two years ago to help prevent flash-flooding in the wet season and capture stormwater and rainwater for use during the dry season.

Rapid urbanisation, poor water management and drainage contributed to more than 230 Chinese cities being affected by floods in 2013.

In April 2015, the Chinese Government announced the first 16 pilot sponge cities including Jinan, which were allocated a budget of US$95.9 million.

The Australian group is expected to bring over experience and skills from the delivery of several successful aquifer recharge projects in the South Australian capital Adelaide over the past two decades.

It is hoped that stored water will be reused for secondary purposes such as industrial use and irrigation.

Geoff Fisher, from Australian Water Environments, said: “Our role will be threefold: to address flooding and water quality, improve the liveability of Jinan through good design and re-instate the springs and their associated spiritual and cultural value.”

Rachel Barratt, CEO of the Water Industry Alliance in Australia, said: “In the example of a wetland project there’s a number of technical expertise required from landscape and urban design through to managed aquifer recharge, water quality monitoring, remote sensing and IT.

“These companies have worked together on projects in Adelaide and that’s the collaborative model we are taking to China to provide an integrated solution.”

“In the example of a wetland project there’s a number of technical expertise required from landscape and urban design through to managed aquifer recharge, water quality monitoring, remote sensing and IT."

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