Building Green Square stormwater drains
Green Square sits on a floodplain that used to be a network of wetlands and creeks. To address this we have built a series of stormwater drains.
Project Status: Completed
All works have been finalised.
What we’re doing
We installed a new 2km stormwater drain from Epsom Road in Zetland to Shea’s Creek channel, Alexandria. This drain now takes floodwaters from Sydney south into Botany Bay.
The City of Sydney and Sydney Water formed the DG Alliance with UGL Engineering, Seymour Whyte, WSP and RPS to build the drain.
We helped to fund this estimated $140 million project because without it, flood risks would prevent development going ahead. The new drain significantly reduces flooding risk in and around the Green Square town centre, particularly at Joynton Avenue and on Botany Road, Zetland.
The drain route from Epsom Road to Alexandra Canal, was chosen to minimise impact on residents, businesses and the environment. Most of this route runs through or under property that we own.
A new water recycling plant is located in the Green Square Infrastructure Centre on the old South Sydney Hospital site in Joynton Avenue. It treats water from the drain so that it can be used by thousands of residents in the Green Square town centre. Find out more about how we reuse water in Green Square.
As part of this project we also raised and lengthened Huntley Street Bridge and renewed the area around Shea’s Creek open channel to make it an attractive and usable public space.
We widened Shea’s Creek channel and built a shared path. This provides a safe space for people walking and riding bikes along its eastern side, from Maddox Street to the mouth of Alexandra Canal.
The $140 million Green Square stormwater drain won the Infrastructure Project Innovation Award for NSW at the 2019 NSW Water Awards.