This week’s Green Tip has been written by Imogen Simmons.
In Week 10 of Term 3, SAM had a guest speaker come in to talk about ACT Healthy Waterways and why it is important for Canberra to have healthy waterways.
So why is it important for Canberra to have healthy water?
The water in Canberra’s suburban creeks, wetlands and ponds mostly comes from stormwater and run-off from residential blocks, streets, retail and industrial areas. This water ends up in our lakes and rivers, largely untreated.
From there, it flows into the Murrumbidgee River system, which part of the Murray-Darling Basin, one of Australia’s most productive agricultural regions.
Having healthy water before it enters our waterways it really important. It’s good for us, for the plants and animals that need clean water to survive.
It is also good for the thousands of people who use and re-use that same water downstream and for the Southern Ocean where our water eventually ends up.
We learnt about the challenges that are faced when trying to clean up Canberra’s water such as the design of suburbs.
But we also learnt about all of the things that the ACT and Australian Government have implemented throughout Canberra to help improve the quality of our water.
Between 2017 and 2019, the Australian Government funded $93.5 million spread over 20 water quality projects.
Once fully operational these projects are expected to filter up to 1.9 million kilograms of sediments and nutrients from our waterways.
The projects also enable ongoing water monitoring and research.
Some of these projects include:
Building rain gardens
- Rain gardens aid in filtering pollutants from the water
Building ponds
- Ponds reduce the speed that water flows resulting in fine sediments settling
Public education
- H2OK initiative was implemented in 2017 and aimed to “reduce pollutants entering our waterways by engaging with the community and teaching people better ways to keep pollutants out of our water.”
This program was really effective at raising awareness about water and changing the behaviour of people, however the effects of this program are slowly wearing off.
Check out this video that summarises the importance of these clean waterway projects!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BliZY3k_u1w&feature=youtu.be
As a part of the Merici community there are things that you can and should do to help keep our waterways clean. At home there are two things you should think about: quality and quantity of water. In terms of quality, everything that you drop on the ground, from rubbish to oil that leaks from the car, ends up in our water ways so think about what you are leaving on the ground and the effect on the quality of our water. In terms of quantity, cut down on your personal water usage such as having shorter showers and turning off the tap when you’re brushing your teeth. Chat to your parents and encourage them to use water efficient appliances and make sure they are using water effectively.
Small actions make a difference and if everyone comes together we can help Canberra keep its water clean.
Check out this website that has a more in-depth explanation of what you and your whole family can do at home!: https://www.environment.act.gov.au/water/act-healthy-waterways/home/what-can-i-do/urban-residents
Felicity Maher
Sustainability Officer
