Groundwater Management

Water Wise Parks

Maintaining Mandurah's 240 parks and reserves is serious business for the City of Mandurah.

As we look to sustainable ways of watering our open spaces and protecting our environment you may notice that some areas of grass are not as green as they used to be.

This is because we are now saving groundwater by changing our irrigation methods and by replacing irrigated turf with non-irrigated, native garden beds.

This sustainable use of groundwater is vital to preserving our beautiful city for generations to come.

About Groundwater Management

The sustainable management of groundwater is crucial to protecting the environment. Over extraction of groundwater lowers the water table and can lead to saline intrusion, acid sulphate soils and degradation to groundwater dependent ecosystems. Improper management of groundwater will also affect Council’s ability to provide quality public open space areas for the community.

Saline Intrusion
Saline intrusion is the movement of sea water into freshwater aquifers, usually brought on by lowering of the water table. Saline intrusion has occurred in some coastal areas of Mandurah.

Acid Sulphate Soils
Acid sulphate soils are naturally occurring soils which form over time under waterlogged conditions (wetlands, aquifers). When these soils are exposed to oxygen, the sulphides in the soil form sulphuric acid and release heavy metals, a process that has devastating effects on the environment.

Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems
Groundwater dependent ecosystems are those which rely on groundwater for survival. These include: wetlands, vegetation, river base flows, cave ecosystems, springs and mangroves. Over extraction of groundwater lowers the water table and the groundwater available to these ecosystems.