Waste in drains ‘may pollute rivers’

Press, 1 September 1989, Page 5

Waste in drains ‘may pollute rivers’

By

TOM METCALFE

People emptying household waste into stormwater drains could be polluting rivers and setting themselves up for prosecution.

Waste emptied into drains instead of sewers can cause environmental damage to streams and rivers, killing plant and animal life, according to the chairman of the Christchurch Drainage Board, Mr Newton Dodge.

The board considered a case of a Christchurch man who drained the oil from his car into a stormwater drain this month. The board has instructed its solicitor to look at prosecuting the man. Mr Dodge said only stormwater should go down stormwater drains.

A lot of people did not realise that stormwater drains were not connected to the city’s sewerage, but in most cases emptied into streams or rivers.

He said people washing cars at the roadside could also be polluting rivers if they did not sufficiently dilute the soap or detergent washed into gutters. There were also prob-

lems with people throwing rubbish or grass clippings into gutters, all of which could block drains, he said. Road sealing New road sealing on Winchester and Shrewsbury Streets in Merivale has lifted only days after it was laid following a stream diversion by the board. The project began early last year, and was completed some months ago, but the road sealing was delayed while the city council and Telecom also did work in the area. Mr Dodge, said board members and staff would meet the contractor to see what could be done about quickly finishing work on the streets. Deputy engineer retires The Drainage Board’s deputy chief engineer, Mr Don Cooper, will retire today after 27 years with the board. He joined the board in 1962 as a mechanical and electrical engineer, and was appointed deputy chief engineer in 1981.