Let's change our ways to change our waterways

At School

All the stormwater from Christchurch City's roofs, roads, driveways and parks flows down drains into a series of underground pipes and open waterways, our stormwater network. This water eventually flows into one of our City's rivers, the Avon, Heathcote, Halswell and Styx Rivers, the Estuary and Brooklands Lagoon and eventually out to sea. Most stormwater doesn't get treated at any point on its way to the rivers, so whatever goes down the drain generally goes into the rivers.

Actions schools can take

• Keep grounds tidy so litter doesn't go down drains or gutters
• Do not dispose of chemicals/paint/cleaning water directly into drains 92kB
• Hold carwashing fundraisers either at a commercial carwash or on school grounds such as fields or grassy areas - not on concrete quads or carparks where water runoff runs straight into the stormwater drains
• Start a streamcare group for local streams or waterways, especially if any run through the school grounds.

It's raining, It's pouring