SCHOOL KIDS HELP KEEP MANDURAH’S WATERWAYS CLEAN

City Officers visited Mandurah Catholic College, Greenfields and Falcon Primary Schools throughout Water Week working with almost 250 students to help educate them about the types of pollutants that are flushed into stormwater drains and ultimately end up in waterways.

Mandurah Mayor Paddi Creevey said the stormwater program was both a fun and educational way of getting the message across and that it helped students look at pollution in their own homes, gardens and neighbourhoods and find ways to prevent this pollution reaching the Peel-Harvey Estuary and rivers.

“The Blue Crab program is a hands-on activity that has been developed by the City of Mandurah to create awareness among students and the wider community about water quality issues.  It shows students ways in which they can change their behaviour and take an active role in protecting Mandurah’s waterways,” Mayor Creevey said.

“Students were out and about during Water Week busily stencilling the symbolic Blue Crab and accompanying messages, such as ‘This Drain is just for Rain’, on to stormwater drains.

“Last year, other schools across Mandurah were involved in the program so we hope that now there are more Blue Crab messages on stormwater drains around the City people will heed this clean water reminder to adopt more sustainable practices for our local waterways.”

Mayor Creevey said it was imperative that pollutants such as cigarette butts, plastic bags, petrol and fertilisers did not enter the Peel-Harvey Estuary via stormwater drains.

“About 145 tons of phosphorous currently enters the estuary each year from urban and agricultural fertilisers, leading to harmful algal blooms. The Blue Crab Stormwater Program is just one way the City of Mandurah can create awareness in the community about these issues.”

The Blue Crab program is targeted at primary school students to educate them on how stormwater systems work and the impacts our daily activities can have on waterways. For further information, teachers can contact the City’s Water Campaign Officer Sarah Molloy on 9550 3283 or download the program at www.mandurah.wa.gov.au/community/stormwater.

RELEASE ENDS

30 October 2008