Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) is an holistic approach to the planning and design of urban development that aims to minimise impacts on the natural water cycle and protect the health of aquatic ecosystems. It promotes the integration of stormwater, groundwater water supply and wastewater management at the development scale. The principles of WSUD are to:
Protect existing natural features and ecological processes;
Maintain natural hydrologic behaviour of catchments;
Protect water quality of surface and ground waters;
Minimise demand on the reticulated water supply system;
Minimise wastewater discharges to the natural environment; and
Integrate water into the landscape to enhance visual, social, cultural and ecological values.
WSUD is a nationally recognised term, and may be viewed as integrating the holistic management of the urban water cycle into the planning and design of the built form of an urban development. WSUD adopts a planning and design approach that integrates multiple opportunities into the built form of individual allotments, streets, suburbs and even master planned communities or precincts.
