Don't pour paint down the drain

With summer holidays approaching, homeowners doing a spot of DIY can avoid causing an environmental disaster by not pouring paint or other solvents down stormwater drains.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, Napier City Council and Hastings District Council have some great tips for ensuring DIY can be kind to the environment.

“Only rain should go down a stormwater drain,” says Wayne Wright, HBRC’s Pollution Manager.

People who see paint or any other chemicals in a gutter or stormwater drain anywhere in Hawke’s Bay can contact the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council Pollution Hotline at any time on 0800 108 838.

“Stormwater drains are designed to take water from roofs, driveways and roads and funnel it out to streams, rivers and to the sea, but these drains do not go through any filtering or treatment centre, so what goes through the drain ends up in the environment."

People can recognise stormwater drains by the grates in the street, which take rainwater from roofs, paths and roads, compared to the fully enclosed sewage pipes which take contaminated water from kitchens, bathrooms and laundries. 

When paint and other chemicals get into streams fish and other stream life are killed and don’t recover for long periods. Pollutants can also affect beaches where people swim and can result in skin rashes and other health issues.

The great DIY tips to prevent stormwater pollution are:

If you are painting a roof when there’s a likelihood of rain disconnect the downpipes for a couple of days after painting to stop paint running into stormwater drains and out into the environment.
Return unused, unwanted paint or empty cans to a local Resene store for recycling, rather than pour unused paint down a drain.
Take paint thinners and other unused chemicals to the annual Hazmobile collection operated by local councils.  Store these securely until November when the truck will be back in the region.  - Hawke's Bay Regional Council

4 October 2017

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