Safety

As roof and gutter downpipes connect directly to roadside gutters and stormwater drains, wastewater from roof cleaning flows directly into our creeks, rivers, waterways and the ocean. Marine life, seagrass and aquatic plants are killed and detrimentally affected and by the pollutants from wastewater including oxides, algae, paint flakes, concrete and sediment.

The Law

Allowing polluted wastewater to enter stormwater drains, roadside gutters or waterways is an offence under The Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997and may attract fines from $750 for an individual, $1500 for a corporation, or prosecution up to a maximum amount of $1,000,000 and a further maximum penalty of $120,000 for each day the offence continues. Council decides what enforcement action to taken accordance with our Enforcement Policy.

Steps to take when cleaning.

Downpipes

• Disconnect downpipes and divert waste water to a holding tank so a licensed liquid waste disposal contractor can safety remove or divert to the garden.
• If your downpipes cannot be easily disconnected, block the downpipe when cleaning and direct the wastewater onto gardens and lawns

Gutters

• Block the downpipe after drilling a hole in the gutter and feed the water to your garden. Plug the hole with a grommet once finished.

Stormwater Drains

• Use sandbags or a portable bund (a barrier to contain water) to protect stormwater in the roadside gutter.
• Ensuring no wastewater flows into the stormwater drain, remove captured wastewater using a vacuum or bilge pump and divert to lawns or gardens.
• To clean up residues, always keep a spill response kit handy, including a shovel, broom and rags.
• Do not hose or wash residual waste materials down the stormwater drain.

Below is an image displaying everything you need to clean a roof and prevent run-off into our waterways.