23 October 2012
Be part of the count toward 10,000 Raingardens
A new public awareness campaign is encouraging Melburnians to build stormwater-filtering ‘raingardens’ to prevent pollution from entering our rivers and creeks.
As part of Melbourne Water's 10,000 Raingardens campaign, commuters will sit among larger-than-life raingarden displays at bus shelters and tram stops across Melbourne, showing how easily they can help protect local waterways at home.
General Manager Waterways, David Ryan, said stormwater pollution was the biggest threat to the health of the region's 8400km of rivers and creeks, with the problem increasing the more Melbourne grew.
"Stormwater damages our waterways in two ways: by picking up and transporting pollutants and causing erosion," said Mr Ryan.
"Stormwater run-off is the number one polluter of rivers and creeks because of the pollution it carries, such as litter, chemicals and excess nutrients.
"In urban areas, stormwater runoff flows much faster and there is a lot more of it, compared with undeveloped areas, which causes river bank erosion and threatens the habitat of native animals such as platypus and fish.
"Raingardens capture stormwater and filter it through layers of sandy soil and plants, which helps slow the rate of runoff to reduce erosion and absorb pollutants that would otherwise end up in rivers and creeks," he said.
Melbourne Water's Raingardens campaign aims to see 10,000 raingardens built across Melbourne backyards by 2013.
Easy, step by step instructions are available so people can design, build and maintain their own raingardens. By registering now, there is a chance to win one of five $1000 Bunnings vouchers.
For more information on raingardens, how to build one or to register visit raingardens.melbournewater.com.au
Media contact: Jess Wurf (03) 9679 6787; 0427 171 274