Abstract:
Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) is a relatively new concept in Australia and aims to manage
and conserve water as well as to resolve some of the problems caused by conventional urban
drainage systems. The design and construction issues with conventional systems are well
documented. However, this is less so with WSUD systems. There are many problems that may not be
foreseeable both during the design stage and operational phase of the WSUD system. These can
contribute to the partial or total failure of a system. Nevertheless, many WSUD devices have been
implemented and are successfully in operation.
It is often difficult to encourage designers to share their learning experiences. Mostly, only the most
successful elements of projects are showcased. This paper presents experiences from case studies
that have faced difficulties during or after construction. Several examples of problematic WSUD
elements in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, have been presented photographically and the
issues surrounding the systems have been highlighted. In nearly all cases, the problems have since
been resolved and the subsequent learning experiences are shared in this paper.
