The City of Belmont’s stormwater network collects water off hard surfaces such as roads and footpaths and diverts this to basins or wetlands. The water can then infiltrate into the ground or continue to flow into the Swan and Canning Rivers. 

The impacts of poor water quality

Stormwater drainage is important in reducing the risk of flooding. It is also linked with our natural groundwater systems, waterways and wetlands.  Poor stormwater quality can negatively impact waterways, wetlands and the plants and animals which depend on them. These impacts could include:
 

• Toxic or non-toxic algal blooms
• Bad odours and nuisance scums
• Contamination of surface water and groundwater
• Negative effects on recreation, tourism and fisheries
• Loss of biodiversity through fish-kills or bird deaths

The City monitors stormwater quality to identify any areas at risk or where there is concern about the water quality. This includes monitoring for nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen), metals and other parameters that are essential for aquatic ecosystem functioning such as salinity, dissolved oxygen, and acidity/alkalinity levels.

The City follows a series of Australian Standards and Guidelines to make sure its activities do not negatively impact the environment.

Stormwater and land use

All land use types (including residential, commercial and industrial) have the potential to discharge pollutants into the natural environment via the stormwater drainage system. Even seemingly small individual discharges can combine with discharges from other properties to significantly affect local waterways and wetlands.  

Please do not allow pollutants to enter the stormwater system. If you run a business, failing to prevent pollutants entering the waterways could also be an offence.

Different land use areas in the City can pollute water quality in different ways:
 

• At home and in your backyard, be aware that fertilisers, garden and household chemicals, waste water, green waste and animal droppings can all damage water quality;
• Light industrial and commercial areas are known to discharge a wide range of pollutants including nutrients, heavy metals, hydrocarbons and particulates;  
• Hydrocarbons, fuels and other chemicals could enter the stormwater network from roads, carparks and transport facilities.

You can help to protect water quality through simple measures such as:

At home and in your backyard

• Prevent grass clippings from your property getting into street gutters.  Sweep them up and put them on the garden or compost heap instead; 
• Wash your car on the lawn instead of the driveway.

At commercial and industrial properties

• Never discharge any kind of waste water or other contaminant into a stormwater drain.  At your workplace, be aware of all outdoor drains and floor drains located in warehouses, workshops, wash down areas, and storage areas.  Never discharge wastewater or other contaminants into any drain unless you are certain it discharges to Water Corporation sewer or another approved waste disposal system;  
• If spills are possible at your business, ensure you have suitable spill kits. Clean up all spills fully and as soon as possible (especially in outdoor areas);
• Do not wash vehicles or equipment onsite unless you have a suitable, approved, wash-down facility.

Find out more about how you can help to protect the City’s waterways. The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation’s website also provides advice to business operators.   

Lakes, wetlands and water quality

The City’s lakes, wetlands and waterways are under continued strain from surrounding land uses.

Plants, birds and other native animals depend on these waterways. For example:
 

• Native oblong (long neck) turtles, frogs, waterbirds and other aquatic animals can be found in some of the City’s lakes, wetlands, open cut drains and compensating basins; 
• Native birds use established trees in parks and wetlands as feeding and nesting sites;
• Aquatic animals, including waterbirds, use open drains across the City as safe movement corridors, which reduces the risk of them crossing roads.

Here is a map of local waterways and drains.

Algae in the wetlands

Most wetlands have some kind of algae and aquatic plants which might ‘bloom’ temporarily during the year. This usually occurs when the water has an abundance of nutrients and during periods of warm temperatures and extended sun light.

If you’re concerned about water quality in the City's lakes, or the growth of algae and aquatic plants, it could be a natural occurrence which will balance itself. 

In most cases, once temperatures cool down or the nutrients in the water returns to normal levels, these algal blooms or plant blooms will dissipate. Most of the time the risk to the environment is minimal and this is a natural occurrence in wetlands and waterways. 

For more information, you might like to:
 

• Visit the City’s Protect Our Waterways page which includes more information on how you can help;
• Read the Algae and Aquatic Plant Information Sheet for more information, including what the City does to minimise and manage algal blooms in lakes. 

How you can help prevent algal blooms

Using lawn and garden fertiliser is one of the biggest contributing factors to high nutrient levels in waterways, causing algal blooms. To reduce your impact, you can choose a ‘Fertilise Wise’ endorsed fertiliser and apply it as per the product recommendations. Please visit the Fertilise Wise website for more information.