Dos and Don’ts

In the Garden
Do	Don’t
sweep the gutters and driveways regularly and place the sweepings on the garden, compost or in the bin	don’t hose dirt off hard surfaces (roads, paths, driveways) into gutters
prevent soil or mulch from being washed or blown off the garden	don’t hose leaves and grass clippings into gutters
rake up leaves or lawn clippings and use them as mulch on the garden or place them in the compost	don’t pile sand and soil on areas where it can wash into the stormwater system
grass or re-plant areas of disturbed soil	don’t overuse chemicals (pesticides and herbicides) that could be washed into stormwater from the garden or yard
consider natural alternatives to pest control chemicals	don’t use too much fertilizer

In the Street
Do	Don’t
pick up litter in the park or on the street	don’t drop packaging or cigarette butts on the ground
clean up pet droppings and dispose of them in the garden, rubbish bins, or in the toilet.	don’t leave rubbish where bins are already full

With the Car
Do	Don’t
maintain the car, making sure there are no leaks and that fuel is burnt ‘cleanly’ by keeping your car tuned	don’t work on your car (including oil changing) in a place where oil and grease may wash into gutters
use the minimum amount of detergent for cleaning outside, and wash your car on the grass or on gravel. A better option is to take your car to a car wash, where the water is recycled.	don’t wash the car in the street using detergent

Renovating
Do	Don’t
wash brushes and rollers over a sand filter on the lawn	don’t wash out cement mixers or barrows so that the waste flows into street drain
keep paint, tarps and solvents clear of gutters or drain	don’t hose sand, gravel or cement into the gutter
reuse tarps once the paint has settled	don’t leave piles of sand or gravel uncovered where it could wash or blow into the gutter
allow unused paint to dry out and then put it in the bin

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