How you can help our waterways

There are a variety of ways you can help improve our waterways.

Individuals and households

At home

• Make sure garden waste stays out of waterways by using a catcher on your mower, cover dirt and mulch piles, and place clippings into green waste, or secure composting areas.
• When fertilizing your garden, follow manufacturer's instructions and make sure no fertilizer remains on hard surfaces.
• Use tanks to collect rainwater.
• Don’t tip domestic chemicals down the stormwater drain. Take all your waste to the appropriate waste management facility.
• When washing your car, take it to a designated car cleaning facility or clean it on your lawn.
• Check your car regularly for oil leaks.

Check out the Derwent Estuary Programs (DEP) information clips on keeping our stormwater system and the Derwent clean:

• Litter
• Paints and oils
• Washing the car

Near waterways and drains

• Always pick up after your dog and keep them on lead in prescribed areas near waterways.
• Place all your rubbish into the correct bins.
• Avoid walking far down onto banks, removing vegetation or disturbing the riparian zone.

Group activities

To help even further, join local community groups, or take part in registered group activities

• City of Hobart: Bushcare Groups across Hobart
• City of Hobart: Hobart Rivulet Bushcare Group
• Friends of Sandy Bay Rivulet (Land Care)
• Friends of the Hobart Rivulet Platypus (Wild Care)
• Clean Up Australia events

Commercial property and businesses

• Be careful around storage and transport of potential pollutants, and contact local authorities immediately if a spill has occurred.
• Plan, implement and maintain effective Soil and Water Management Plans when doing any works where there is potential for erosion and sediment to be carried into waterways or the stormwater system.
• Follow the water sensitive urban design guidelines when designing and building new infrastructure.

Report pollution entering the waterways

Report any evidence of spills into the stormwater system to the City of Hobart Customer Service team, on 03 6238 2711 or coh@hobartcity.com.au

These can include oils or other chemicals, or evidence of spills such as large algal blooms, significant fish kills or vegetation death, sewer odor or dyes.

Note on Foams: many of our waterways have natural accumulations of foam caused by tannins from plants, or simply water flow. Find more information about what foams are non-natural on the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) website.

If the spills are large, or are within the Derwent, contact the Environmental Protection Authority on 1800 005 171.