By managing your domestic stormwater, you can reduce pollution of the waterways we love to swim in, fish and simply enjoy.
The catchment area of our local rivers and waterways includes our houses, gardens, driveways and lawns. The stormwater system uses the gutters, drains, pipes and rivers to quickly remove water from residential and business areas so as to avoid flooding and the resultant damage this incurs.
When the stormwater system is in use (i.e. during a storm), any litter, debris and other pollution in your yard, gutters and drains will flow, with the water, firstly, into the local wetlands and creeks prior to it flowing into the rivers, bays and the ocean.
Stopping this pollution at its source is essential to maintaining the health of our natural waterways and those communities that enjoy them.
Ensure that the stormwater leaving your property is free of pollution:
Install and plant a rain-garden
A rain-garden is a garden feature where stormwater can be captured and used. A rain garden can be a depression or planter box (lined) that is accessible from your stormwater system (i.e. house downpipe, driveway runoff or rainwater tank overflow). Water is stored in the rain garden, where suitable plants flourish on the stored water.
The benefits of rain-gardens are they:
A rain-garden can be installed through the following steps:
Key tips
Further resources
The fresh water from our stormwater systems enters our natural waterways where many of us like to swim and fish. Our farmers will often draw fresh water from our rivers for livestock or crops to produce the food we eat. Allowing pollution to enter our waterways can produce toxins (i.e. algal blooms) and introduce chemicals and other pollutants to our lives that are detrimental to our health and wellbeing.
Taking responsibility to remove pollution that may be washed into the stormwater system will result in our homes and yards being cleaner and less prone to flooding. In addition, this action will directly reduce the amount of pollution flowing into our local waterways and the broader environment.
Roof water run-off in urban areas contains a range of contaminants, which include heavy metals, nitrogen and chemical pollutants from the air and sediments such as dust, dirt, organic material and animal faeces. Reducing pollution entering our waterways will lower the level of toxins in the food we eat and ultimately us.
Upper Hunter Shire Council is a local government authority and provides an extensive array of services including health and building; town planning; aged care; sporting and recreational facilities; roads; libraries; waste collection; airport facilities; saleyards; public venues; water; children, youth and families and tourist information.
PO Box 208
Scone NSW 2337
Phone: 02 6540 1100
Fax: 02 6545 2671
council@upperhunter.nsw.gov.au
135 Liverpool Street, Scone
34-40 Vennacher Street, Merriwa
47 Mayne Street, Murrurundi
After hours emergencies for roads, bridges, animal control,
water, sewer & landfill
Phone: 02 6540 1199