Gutters and drains take rainwater from our streets straight into creeks and rivers. So when it rains, stormwater runoff can carry with it pollution from around our homes and streets into the waterways we swim in and where animals and plants live.
What You Can Do
- Put your cigarette butts and other litter in the bin.
- Pitch in and help clean up littered areas.
- If there is no bin handy, hold onto your litter until you find one.
- Try to wash your vehicle on a grassy area or over gravel.
- Sweep your gutters and driveways rather than hosing them down.
- Put leaves in the compost or on the garden as mulch.
- Rake up grass clippings then mulch or compost them.
- Cover piles of soil, sand or mulch to stop them washing into drains.
- Build barriers around your garden beds to contain the soil (and any fertilisers you are using).
- Plant grass where soil is exposed.
- When you're out, pick up your dog's droppings with a plastic bag and put them in the bin.
- When using water-based paint, clean up over soil.
- When using oil-based paint: keep paint, turps and solvents clear of gutters and drains.
- Keep effluent away from watercourses, stormwater drains and property boundaries.
- Use biodegradable liquid detergents - including those with low sodium and phosphorus.
- Conserve water and consider the inclusion of AAA Rating Water Saving Fixtures to minimise water usage.
