This article covers things we can all do to reduce stormwater pollution.
Develop Greener Habits
By developing “greener” habits, we can all make a significant reduction to the amount of pollution in our water systems, just by the day-to-day things we do. Here are some excellent “green” habits to develop:
- Don’t litter! Place your litter in the bin. If there is no bin handy, carry your litter until you find one. If you smoke, carry a container for your cigarette butts.
- Sweep up leaves from gutters and rake up leaves from the garden. Rake up grass clippings too. Add leaves and grass to your compost heap if you have one. Note: Don’t hose your gutters and driveway – sweep them instead.
- Wash your car on the lawn so that the water can soak into the grass (and not into the stormwater system).
- Reduce fertiliser and chemical use on your garden.
- Pick up your dog’s faeces and either flush them down the toilet or put them on the compost heap.
- Clean paint brushes over the lawn if using water based paint. If using oil based paint, keep the paint and turps clear of gutters and drains. Reuse the turps.
- Take unneeded oils and paints to a recycling facility.
Water Sensitive Urban Design
Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) is an approach to urban design that minimises the impact of stormwater on the natural environment. It refers to the way we design our houses and other buildings.
WSUD emphasises a more decentralised approach to traditional methods of collecting and managing rainwater. Using WSUD, rainwater stays on site and can be re-used, or it eventually filters through the ground and into our waterways in a more natural way.
WSUD ensures that our rainwater collection is more attuned to the natural environment.
Here are some great WSUD techniques you can use at your own home or workplace:
- Install rainwater tanks and other recycling devices. This reduces the amount of rainwater leaving your property and flowing through the stormwater system. Re-use the collected water for toilet flushing, laundry, and watering the garden.
- Use temporary storage areas to trap rainwater and prevent it from leaving your property. Storage areas could include driveways, carparks, gardens etc. This is referred to as On-site Stormwater Detention (OSD).
- Avoid using hard paving around your garden area. The more hard paving, the more water will run away from your garden and into the stormwater system.
- Recycle grey water. Washing and shower water is grey water. You can use this water to flush toilets and water the garden.
Source: Natural Environment
