Stormwater is not treated
Stormwater is the rain that runs off buildings, streets and footpaths.
It is also the runoff from garden watering, wash-downs and illegal
discharges. Unlike the wastewater from kitchens, laundries, toilets
and bathrooms, stormwater is NOT treated before it enters our
waterways. That's why only clean runoff should enter the stormwater
system.
Prevention is best
The best way to prevent pollution of stormwater, and hence our
waterways, is to stop pollutants getting into the stormwater system
in the first place. Here are some tips on how you can do your
bit to protect our waterways.
Let the rain soak in
Use gravel, scoria rock, bricks, interlocking or permeable paving,
wooden decking, bark chips or grass instead of cement driveways,
paths or patios - this will increase infiltration of rain and
decrease run-off.
Landscaping and gardening
Leave existing trees and vegetation where possible.
Plant trees and shrubs to help prevent erosion and promote infiltration
of rain.
Cover exposed soil with groundcover or mulch to help prevent
soil being washed or blown away.
Select plants that have don't need much water, fertiliser and
pesticide.
Compost your lawn clippings and garden waste.
Use borders, wire or rocks to contain soil, compost and mulch
(and any fertilisers or pesticides).
Plant vegetated strips along the edges of the driveway to collect
and filter stormwater.
Using fertilisers, herbicides
and pesticides
 Outdoor
cleaning
DO NOT hose down the driveway, patio or footpaths into the gutter
- sweep them instead and compost any organic material (dirt, grass
cuttings, leaves, etc.), place it in the garden or in the green-waste
bin for collection.
Regularly clean gutters and outside household drains of leaves
and other organic matter and add to compost, place it in the garden
or in the green waste bin for collection.
Help minimise the amount of litter, sediment and organic matter
in our waterways by regularly sweeping the footpath and street
gutter outside your house (e.g. every collection day), and compost
any organic material, or place it in the garden or in the green
waste bin for collection.
 Car
use and maintenance
Have your car serviced regularly at a service centre where they
have proper facilities to manage waste.
Check for fuel and radiator leaks and have them repaired as soon
as possible.
Clean up any spilled automotive fluid with absorbent material
(e.g. kitty litter) and dispose of it in the waste bin.
DO NOT dispose of used oil, coolant, battery acid or other engine
fluids into any drain, or onto soil or the garden - used engine
fluids and batteries should be taken a collection or recycling
facility. Find your nearest one at www.zerowaste.sa.gov.au/rid.php.
Wash your car, boat or trailer on the lawn and water the lawn
at the same time. If you don't have a suitable area, visit a relative
or friend who does.
Alternatively, use a commercial carwash that directs wastewater
to the sewer via pre-treatment facilities.
Use a microfibre cloth to avoid or minimise the need for detergent.
Chemical use, storage and disposal
Try to avoid or reduce your use of chemicals.
Use non-toxic or less toxic alternatives (e.g. water-based).
Buy chemicals only in the amount you expect to use for the current
job and apply them only as directed.
Store chemicals under cover and preferably in tubs or trays to
prevent them accidentally entering the stormwater system.
DO NOT pour hazardous household chemicals down any drain, or
onto soil or the garden - take them to your nearest Household
Hazardous Waste Collection Facility.
 Renovating
Place stockpiles (e.g. of sand, cement) away from the street
and the top of driveways that slope down to the street. If necessary
put a cover over the material to reduce the risk of erosion or
wind loss, and an embankment or trench around the stockpile to
catch the sediment lost by water erosion.
Cut bricks and pavers on a grassed area or over a container,
and dispose of the off cuts and sediment in the waste bin or the
garden.
DO NOT dispose of water used for cleaning building tools in any
drain; direct it to a vegetated soakage area instead.
When stripping or sandblasting paint, lay tarpaulins on the ground
and erect hessian screens to prevent paint being blown away and
dispose of paint flakes safely (see Guide
to paint disposal).
DO NOT clean paintbrushes over any drain or where the clean up
water may enter a drain; clean them over newspaper and place the
newspaper in the waste bin.
DO NOT dispose of paint or clean up fluids down any drain (see
Guide to paint disposal).
 Litter
Prevent litter or recyclables getting into the stormwater system
by placing them in the supplied bin or, if no bin is supplied,
in a container or bag, or wrap or tie them up.
When out walking, put litter and cigarettes in a waste bin-anything
that floats will find its way into our waterways.
If there is no waste bin handy, hold onto your litter until you
can find a bin, or take it home with you.
Carry a container for your cigarette butts (available through
KESAB www.kesab.asn.au)
before disposing of them in a waste bin.
 Pets
Pick up after your dog when you're out walking. Use a plastic
bag or pooper-scooper, and bury faeces in the garden or place
in the waste bin in a sealed bag.
Pool cleaning
Direct backwash water from all swimming pools to the sewer or
septic tank effluent disposal scheme (STEDS). As approval may
be required, check with the relevant authority first:
N.B. in areas served by a STEDS, backwash water must not be discharged
into the septic tank, but into the drain between the tank and
the communal effluent drain.
In unsewered areas, discharge swimming pool backwash water to
a vegetated area (see note below) or a stone-filled trench either
open to the surface or underground, similar to a septic tank absorption
field, so it does not run off outside the property boundaries.
Note: if the water is salt chlorinated choose salt-tolerant plants
for the disposal area and irrigate it with good quality water
from time to time.
Septic systems
Avoid heavy traffic on the ground above the system because it
can cause the system's pipes to collapse.
Install water-efficient showerheads, taps and toilets in your
house, and regularly maintain fixtures to reduce the likelihood
of septic system overflow.
Don't use the toilet as a garbage disposal unit! Excess solids
may clog your drain field and necessitate more frequent pumping
out.
Avoid the use of toxic cleaners (e.g. chlorine bleaches and phenol-based
or acidic cleaners) - they can have a detrimental effect on the
functioning of the septic tank.
Inspect your septic system annually and have the sludge cleaned
out at least every 4 years. For further information on septic
tanks visit http://www.health.sa.gov.au/pehs/branches/wastewater/maintain-septic-tank.htm
Further information
Stormwater Pollution Prevention
Code of Practice for the Community (497KB PDF)
This page was last modified 29-04-2008
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