Mud and sediment run-off
 |
Click on the image to check out
sediment
control methods |
If you are building this winter, remember to keep mud on your site.
In the past, the main problem with stormwater was flooding. Now stormwater is
known to be one of the main causes of water pollution in the world. In Auckland
it affects water quality and marine life in our harbours. When rain falls onto
our properties some of it soaks into the soil, but some flows overland to our
roads, drains, and watercourses and eventually to the sea. In the course of that
overland flow it gets dirty. A significant contributor is mud and sediment from
exposed ground on building sites during the wet season.
The golden rule of sediment control is to keep sediment within your site.
Appropriate methods can be found in Silt
and sediment
control methods (Annexure
14) of the Auckland City District Plan - isthmus section.
Auckland City is undergoing unprecedented levels of construction. The city is
built on slopes, and sloping ground means run-off is more rapid allowing less
soakage. Construction is increasingly on small sites or on sites with greater
building coverage. Ground space is at a premium for the storage, loading and
unloading of building materials and this means less space for soakage and
sediment control measures. Frequently trucks track mud onto roads where no wheel
washing facilities exist on site.
If a development has a resource consent, the consent may specifically require
sediment control. Generally, it is a breach of the district plan to allow any
silt or sediment to enter the stormwater drains or channels from earthworks or
bare land, and a wheelwash is required on all sites where loose material may be
carried by vehicle tyres and deposited on public roads.
Find out about environmental
fines.
