Water catchments
What is a catchment?
A catchment is the area of land that drains into the one waterway (creek or river). Whatever happens in that catchment, affects that waterway. Rainwater runs off roofs, roads and footpaths becoming stormwater which picks up pollution along the way. This water eventually ends up at the bottom of the catchment.
Everyone lives in a catchment and can help improve the quality of local waterways. It is up to everyone to keep local waterways clean.
Inner West Catchments
The Inner West Council area is mainly within two water catchments.
- The Cooks River Catchment
- The Lower Parramatta River Catchment
Inner West Council, the Cooks River Alliance and Parramatta River Catchment Group have a shared vision of making our rivers and waterways swimmable again. Preventing large, small and chemical pollutants from entering the waterways in the first place is the best way to do this. This can be achieved with help from the community.
In addition to that Council counts with Gross Pollutant Traps (GPTs) which are one way to treat stormwater before in enters local waterwaus.
You can help by building water-sensitive design elements on your property or installing a water tank.
Get the Site Right
It is the Get the Site Right campaign's sixth year!
This campaign is a joint program between the Cooks River Alliance, DPIE, Georges Riverkeeper, the EPA, Parramatta River Catchment Group, Sydney Coastal Councils Group, local Sydney councils and Lake Macquarie Council.
Our aim is to help builders and home renovators on best practice erosion and sediment controls
Sediment run-off usually contains common building materials such as cement, sand and soil.These materials can contaminate water and cause algal blooms that harm marine plants and animals.They can also build up in marine species, such as mussels, and have a dangerous impact on the food chain.
Sediment in the water can affect swimming and other recreational activities by causing unpleasant odours and making the water cloudy.
Builders and home renovators are being urged to stop run-off from their building sites polluting waterways and green spaces that Sydney siders increasingly rely on for recreation and enjoyment.
For more information, have a look at the Parramatta River Catchment Group's page.