Giant underground water tank to help bowl over bushfire threats

A giant underground water tank beneath a lawn bowling green at a Mount Barker retirement village is the latest weapon in the Adelaide Hills’ war against bushfires.

Lifestyle SA has installed a whopping 600,000-litre underground water storage tank at its new Mount Barker Lifestyle Village to service the estate and provide protection to homes from bushfire threats.

The massive tank, which is the equivalent of 14 average-sized swimming pools, has been cleverly fitted below the village’s bowling green and will be on-call for any fire incidents that arise in the future.

Lifestyle SA General Manager Stephen Norris says the huge water tank should be a great comfort for village residents and also the local community.

“The Adelaide Hills are a magnificent place to live but like many other parts of South Australia there’s always a risk of bushfire, so any measures that minimise risks are always welcome,” he said.

“The 600,000-litre water storage facility below the lawn bowling green at the Mount Barker Lifestyle Village will not only provide a valuable reserve of water to protect village homes and facilities, but could also be used for nearby emergencies.

“And the beauty of concealing the tank below the bowling green means the visual amenity of the village is not compromised in any way for residents.

“This is the first time we’ve implemented such a facility within our network of villages, and we also believe it’s a first for retirement villages anywhere in Australia.”

The tank forms part of an innovative reclaimed water system within the village that is driven by stormwater harvesting, largely from rainwater collected from the rooftops of village homes. In addition to its fire fighting capacity, the tank water also services every village home’s toilet flushing requirements by reticulating water via dedicated pump sets.

“The residents really appreciate access to the tank as it means they don’t need to worry about installing or maintaining their own individual water tanks,” said Mr Norris.

“It also means the village is not reliant on the town’s mains water, with Mount Barker’s plentiful annual rainwater enough to satisfy requirements.

“For example, all of the village’s toilet flushing requirements will be catered for by the system, which equates to 1.5 million litres of water per annum. This is a major volume of water and vastly reduces the village’s reliance on mains water.”

Located on Lysander Court off Hurling Drive, the Mount Barker Lifestyle Village is one of the Adelaide Hills’ newest retirement villages. It incorporates 157 homes that each incorporate formal and informal living areas, garages and fully maintained gardens.

A Community Centre within the village also includes a range of services and activities for residents, including an indoor heated swimming pool and hydrotherapy spa, gymnasium, billiards lounge, library and hairdressing salon. In addition to the lawn bowling green, there is also an adjacent clubroom, caravan and boat storage, while high-tech security measures throughout the village ensure residents’ safety.

The Mount Barker Lifestyle Village is one of 11 Lifestyle SA villages across South Australia, with other estates at Pasadena, Happy Valley, Seaford and Woodcroft south of Adelaide, and Walkley Heights, Hope Valley, Salisbury East, Evanston Park, Parafield Gardens and Golden Grove in the north.

FURTHER INFORMATION: Please contact:
Stephen Norris, Lifestyle SA General Manager, on 0419 021 685