Water pollution is a major problem in the global context. It has been suggested that it is the leading worldwide cause of deaths and diseases, and that it accounts for the deaths of more than 14,000 people daily.In India, for example, an estimated 700 million people have no access to a proper toilet, and 1,000 Indian children die of diarrheal sickness every day.In addition to the acute problems of water pollution in developing countries, industrialized countries continue to struggle with pollution problems as well.
[SOURCE] wikipedia. Image: Ganges river at Varanasi 2008
Stormwater picks up trash and pollutants. Fast food wrappers, cigarette butts, styrofoam cups, plastic bottles, toxins, used motor oil, antifreeze, pesticides, pet waste etc. are all picked up by flowing water such as rain water, household sprinkler systems, fire hydrants, personal hoses and more. Please dispose of waste appropriately!
Up to 80% of stormwater pollution is the result of improper residential practices. Ironically, most people think it's "big business" that's doing most of the polluting.The used oil from one car engine can produce an 8 acre oil slick, covering more than one million gallons of water. Unfortunately many people still dump their used motor oil in the trash or down storm drains.Leaves, branches and yard waste washed into storm drains deplete oxygen from the water as they decompose which leads to the death of fish and other aquatic life.About 90% of insects on your lawn are not harmful, so why risk polluting our waterways by overusing pesticides?
Ophelia Booth, at front, attaches a bright blue fish to a drain in Clyde Street last week, while the rest of the fishy drains crew look on; from left, Diana Booth, Brett Gibson, Councillor Rabbit Nottage and Phil Gerbault. Cr Rabbit instigated the ‘Mountains to Sea’ drains label project, to encourage people to keep the drains free of contaminants. “We want to make people aware that what goes into the drains goes into our streams, then into rivers and then into the sea.”
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It's World Ocean Day and the children at Springlands School in Blenheim are celebrating by challenging the town to keep its drains cleaner.The school's Fish on Drains project started last year, when they fixed a plastic blue fish above a stormwater drain, reminding people not to pollute the waterways.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/5114609/Fish-a-reminder-to-keep-drains-clean
