Stormwater Management - for the Home and Mobile D-I-Y Handyperson
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Stormwater Management
for the Home and Mobile D-I-Y Handyperson
EPA 542/04—April 2004
Why do I need this information?
This information, developed for the home handyperson and operators of mobile home maintenance
businesses, aims to improve your ability to identify and manage potential stormwater pollution
problems generated from a variety of ‘do-it-yourself’ activities.
The Environment Protection (Water Quality) Policy 2003 requires that you undertake all activities in a
way that ensures stormwater is protected from pollutants such as paint, petroleum products, heavy
metals, chemical agents, oils, grease and general rubbish.
What is stormwater?
Stormwater is rainwater that flows over outside surfaces into gutters and stormwater drains in the
street. Unlike the sewerage system wastewater, this water is not treated and flows directly to our
creeks, rivers, groundwaters and oceans. Stormwater should only contain clean rainwater and no
pollutants.
Benefits for you
By addressing potential stormwater pollution problems at your home you:
• minimise the risk of environmental fines and prosecutions
• demonstrate compliance with the Environment Authority’s codes of practice
• improve environmental conditions for everyone.
What legislation governs stormwater pollution?
The stormwater system is protected by a number of different laws including the Environment
Protection Act 1993 (the Act), the Environment Protection (Water Quality) Policy 2003 (the Water
Quality Policy), the Local Government Act 1934, the Development Act 1993 and the Public and
Environmental Health Act 1987.The Water Quality Policy offers the most specific protection for the state’s waters. It prohibits the
pollution of the stormwater system and our natural waters. The Water Quality Policy has general
obligations with which every person, business and industry must comply, as well as specific
obligations for particular activities. Failure to comply with any of these obligations may result in a
$300 fine, Environment Protection Order, and/or prosecution.
Clause 17 of the Water Quality Policy states that a person must not discharge or deposit a pollutant
listed in Schedule 4 of the Policy into any waters or onto land where it might enter any waters. The
pollutants listed in Schedule 4 that relate to the home handyperson includes:
• brick, bitumen or concrete cutting wastewater
• detergents and their by-products
• engine coolant, oil, grease or lubricants, petroleum products
• hard waste (e.g. vehicles, tyres, batteries, metal parts, piping)
• motor vehicle servicing or repair waste
• paint and paint scrapings, painting washwater
• plaster, plaster waste and plaster wastewater
• rubbish (e.g. cans, bottles, plastic items or materials)
• solvents
• stain or varnish
• fertilisers
• soil, clay, gravel or sand.
For more information on the Water Quality Policy visit the EPA web site at www.epa.sa.gov.au or
telephone (08) 8204 2004.
Identifying potential pollution problems
Many of the projects a home handyperson undertakes can contribute to stormwater pollution if they
are not properly managed. Whilst industry professionals know their legal responsibilities regarding
environmental protection, the home handyperson can overlook their general obligations and are
often unaware that they too can be fined for improper practices.
Wastewater from any construction, renovation or maintenance activity that is discharged, purposely
or accidentally, to stormwater drains or gutters in the street, is pollution. See the table below for
examples of activities and the pollutants they produce which pose a risk to stormwater.
Activity Pollutant Impact on stormwater
Brick/concrete sediment Deposits foreign particles, causes channel choking
cutting
wastewater Increases turbidity
other residues Reduces oxygen and light for aquatic ecosystems
Garden activities organic wastes Increases nutrient loads
soil Deposits foreign sediment, causing channel choking
fertilisers Releases toxins
Contributes to weed invasion
2Activity Pollutant Impact on stormwater
Pesticide spraying chemical residues Releases toxins, poisons aquatic ecosystems
Stockpiles soil Deposits foreign sediment, causing channel choking
sand Increases turbidity
Increases nutrient loads
Reduces oxygen and light for aquatic ecosystems
Painting paint Releases toxins, poisons aquatic ecosystems
solvents Deposits chemical compounds
lead
oils
chemical residues
Pressure water chemicals Releases toxins, poisons aquatic ecosystems
blasting /
cleaning solutions Deposits chemical compounds
cleaning
dirt oil/grease Reduces oxygen and light for aquatic ecosystems
paint sludge Increases nutrient loads
animal faeces
Unsecured loads soil and sand Increases nutrient loads
general building Deposits non-degradable matter
materials
Releases toxins, poisons aquatic systems
rubbish
Reduces oxygen and light for aquatic ecosystems
Vehicle servicing oil, grease, Deposits chemical compounds
and repairs lubricants
Releases toxins, poisons aquatic systems
engine coolant
Reduces oxygen and light for aquatic ecosystems
petroleum products
metal and plastic
parts
General litter Litter Clogs the water channels
Deposits non-degradable matter
How can the home handyperson prevent stormwater pollution?
• Mortar—Mix mortar over a lined utility tray, on a spill safe mat or on a grassed area where the
slurry or waste water can be collected or soaked up. Do not pour the wastewater or diluted
mortar into the stormwater drain.
• Brick cutting—Do not cut bricks on public roads, footpaths or reserves. If a conventional
diamond tip saw is used, a hessian bag attached where water discharges will filter most
sediments. Use the filtered wastewater for watering the garden. Dispose of other surplus
wastewater to the sewer (with approval from SA Water Trade Wastes Section—telephone
8207 1350) or into a contained area for drying by soakage.
3• Green waste—Sweep grass cuttings and leaves from street gutters, footpaths and driveways,
and dispose of them into your compost, garden, a green waste recycling depot or, as a last
resort, the rubbish bin. Ensure mulch is not washed or blown off your garden beds or verges and
into the street. Weigh down any loose mulch with wire mesh or rocks, or install garden edging.
• Pesticides—Use chemical pesticides only if absolutely necessary. Many pesticides are tested
overseas and their impacts are not fully known on Australian aquatic environments. If you must
use pesticides avoid using them during periods of rain, as plants generally require 24 hours to
absorb the pesticide through their leaves. Rain in the meantime will prevent target vegetation
being killed and can wash the pesticide into the stormwater system. The most effective method
of application is to use a wand or paint the pesticide on leaves; for woody weeds, cut and swab
or inject the pesticide. This reduces the risk of spray drift and off-target damage. Spraying
during windy conditions contributes to spray drift and should be avoided. Pesticides should not
be applied in areas surrounding and within watercourses. If you consider this necessary, consult
the Environment Protection Authority by telephoning 8204 2004. Clean up poisoned plants and
weeds and dispose of them to landfill to avoid any secondary contamination of stormwater
though decomposition.
• Stockpiles—Place stockpiles (e.g. sand or soil) on a flat, sheltered site away from the street, or
on the level top of a driveway that slopes down to the street. To reduce rain and wind erosion,
cover the material or lightly spray the mound with water, which forms a hard, protective crust
when dry.
• Painting
- For water-based paint: wash your equipment under a running tap with a bucket underneath
to collect the wash water. Allow the bucket to stand until the solids have settled to the
bottom. Gently pour off the liquid from the top, scrape out the paint solids onto newspaper
and dispose of them in the garbage bin. You can reuse the decanted washwater to clean
other paint equipment, or dispose of it over your garden.
- For solvent-based paint: solvent based paint washings can also be treated and reused by
allowing the paint solids to settle and decanting the solvent off the top. You can reuse the
decanted solvent to clean other equipment, but do not dispose of the liquid on the ground.
This can cause groundwater contamination. Collect any used solvent waste and take it to a
licensed treatment facility, or contact your local council about a household hazardous
materials collection service.
• High pressure hosing—Divert all wastewater runoff from this activity to an on-site soakage
area (e.g. lawn or garden) or to the sewer (with approval from the SA Water Trade Wastes
Section). If either of these options is not available, collect and store the wastewater, and any
solid residues, for disposal at a licensed waste treatment facility. Hosing your driveway where
contaminated water runs into the street gutters is not an acceptable practice and may result in
a fine.
• Trailer loads—Ensure all trailer loads of sand, soil and other materials are covered securely by a
tarpaulin during transportation to reduce erosion by wind.
• Mechanical servicing—After servicing vehicles or other machinery, dispose of used oil and any
other wastes at a licensed collection facility. Coolant, some waste oil and grease can be taken to
your local radiator or auto service repairer (check with your local council for locations). Promptly
clean up any spills using absorbent material or kitty litter and dispose of the waste in the
garbage bin.
4The information contained in this document is from a series of fact sheets developed by the Stormwater Pollution
Prevention Projects.
Visit www.cartchments.net/initiatives/initiatives_stormwater.shtml for more information on stormwater issues.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Legislation
Legislation may be viewed on the Internet at: www.parliament.sa.gov.au/dbsearch/legsearch.htm
Copies of legislation are available for purchase from:
Government Information Centre Telephone: 13 23 24
Lands Titles Office, 101 Grenfell Street Internet: shop.service.sa.gov.au
Adelaide SA 5000
For general information please contact:
Environment Protection Authority Telephone: (08) 8204 2004
GPO Box 2607 Facsimile: (08) 8204 9393
Adelaide SA 5001 Freecall (country): 1800 623 445
E-mail: epainfo@epa.sa.gov.au Internet: www.epa.sa.gov.au
5You can also read
