Stormwater systems
Any rain that falls on the roof of your home or is collected by paved areas, such as the drive and paths, is called stormwater. The stormwater from your home is generally carried into the street, where it joins stormwater from the road and is carried off to the sea.
Illegal connections of stormwater to the sewerage system is a major cause of sewers overflowing.
It is important to remember that anything that is dropped in the street can be washed into a stormwater drain and carried into the sea. In this way a great deal of rubbish, especially plastic, and other polluting material, such as animal droppings, is carried to the sea by stormwater drains everyday.
Stormwater and sewage are carried away from your house by separate systems of pipes. This is because the flood of water produced in a heavy rain storm would either swamp a septic tank or overload a sewerage system. Illegal connection of stormwater to the sewerage system is a problem faced by many water authorities in Australia. Local councils are generally responsible for controlling and maintaining stormwater systems. However, it is everyone's responsibility to reduce the volume of rubbish that is carried into our creeks, rivers and seas by stormwater systems.