HARVESTING RAINWATER FOR PASSIVE STREET IRRIGATION
10 Mar 2026
Councils continually invest in urban greening, planting more trees and upgrading parks and gardens to create cooler, more liveable neighbourhoods. However, establishing and maintaining healthy vegetation in harsh roadside environments proves a challenge, as limited soil volumes, heat from surrounding pavements and the ongoing costs of manual watering place pressure on maintenance crews. What if the stormwater already flowing along kerb channels after rainfall could be captured and redirected, used for the automatic nourishment of streetside landscapes? This opportunity has driven the development of SVC’s newest passive irrigation solution: the Monash Grated Inlet, created in collaboration with the City of Monash’s design engineers.
The MGI is a purpose-designed kerb inlet system that harnesses road stormwater to nourish street trees and vegetated verges, capturing runoff naturally and redirecting it underground. The self-contained system also filters out debris and sediment, feeding clean water into underground soil vault systems that help to maintain healthy trees and root systems.
Designed as a fully assembled precast unit, the MGI simplifies installation and integrates seamlessly with standard barrier kerb channels. The innovative system includes an internal filtration device and a lift-out cover and pedestrian-safe grate, all of which are pre-configured within the unit when it is delivered to site, eliminating installation errors and unlocking time and labour savings.
One of the standout benefits of this new product is its low maintenance design. Once installed, it typically only requires servicing every 3–6 months, providing a considerable reduction in time and labour compared with frequent manual irrigation cycles. Council crews are given time to focus on other critical tasks, while passive irrigation continues quietly and efficiently in the background.
For landscape architects, engineers and urban designers, the Monash Grated Inlet offers an elegant, innovative and practical way to endorse water-sensitive urban design (WSUD), harnessing natural rainfall cycles to promote greener streetscapes while fulfilling the standard functional requirements of civil drainage infrastructure.
Whether you’re looking to improve street greenery establishment, reduce maintenance costs, or simply deliver smarter public realm outcomes, SVC’s passive irrigation solutions is a compelling new tool in your design and delivery toolkit.
Contact SVC today via the links below to learn more about the Monash Grated Inlet and how it can support your next project.
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