Wai Care is an action based program that is founded on the principle that prevention is better than cure. The ultimate goal of Wai Care is to restore waterway health, reducing the effects that people have on waterways as much as possible and taking steps to rehabilitate waterways damaged by our day to day activities. By working towards this goal we will also be achieving an additional benefit – healthy estuaries and beaches, as everything we do on the land ultimately affects the sea.

Nobody in Auckland is proud of urban waterways devoid of life, litter strewn estuaries, beaches declared unsafe to swim at or shellfish too contaminated to eat. Letting these situations continue is surely an indictment of our lifestyle, and our lack of concern for other living things. But we don’t have to remain this way. It would be heartening to think that all would be well as soon as we stopped dumping junk into our waterways. Unfortunately it isn’t that simple. Turning back the tide on environmental damage takes careful planning, lots of effort and commitment and in some cases a lot of money.

Everyone in the Auckland Region, shares responsibility for making sure stormwater is as clean as possible and making sure that only rain goes down the stormwater drain. Care of your own immediate environment is central to the Wai Care concept.

For more information about:

• getting neighbours to clean up their act
• drain stencilling and litter clean-ups
• techniques for capturing resources and interest in the cause
• how to design and undertake stream enhancement programs

see Book 8 Taking Action

You can help prevent stormwater pollution in the following ways:

• dispose of litter carefully
• clear away animal droppings
• sweep paths rather than hosing them
• take your household hazardous waste like left over paint, thinners and chemicals such as garden sprays to the Hazmobile (www.hazmobile.govt.nz) for timetable or call your local council to find out when it will be in your area)
• Give left over paint to a school or let it dry in the tin and dispose of it with the rubbish
• If you spill paint or oil, use an old rag to clean it up. Never hose spills down stormwater drains.
• wash your car on the lawn so used water soaks into the ground or use a commercial car wash facility, where washwater drains to the sewer system.
• keep your car tuned and fix oil leaks
• use public transport whenever possible to keep the number of cars on the city’s roads to a minimum
• reduce the amount of fertiliser you use on your lawns
• minimise the amount of impervious surfaces around your home
• discharge stormwater from impervious surfaces, such as paths and driveways into gardens, lawns and rainwater planters
• reuse rainwater for washing clothes, flushing the toilet and watering the garden
• protect and maintain vegetation near the banks of streams.
• Rake up leaves and lawn clippings and make them into compost to use instead of chemical fertilisers.

You can help to save water in the following ways:

Outside the house:

• Use native plants that don’t need as much watering
• When watering plants, use a trigger nozzle on the hose that allows you to control the water flow
• Turn outside taps off properly and check for leaks
• Mulch around plants to prevent evaporation. Mulch can be made from used paper, old carpet or garden wastes and can prevent up to 70% of water loss from evaporation.
• Water plants in the cool of the day.
• Water the garden using grey water ie. water that has already been used once, like bath or sink water
• Use a bucket of water to wash cars, instead of leaving the hose on
• Sweep the path with a broom, not a hose
• Let grass grow higher in dry weather so the soil can retain more moisture.

Inside the house:

• Don’t leave the tap running while you wash hands, dishes or vegetables
• Install water saving showerheads or flow restrictors
• Take short showers instead of deep baths
• Only use the washing machine or dishwasher when it’s full.
• Turn the tap off while you brush your teeth.