We are working with Melbourne Water to identify ways to use stormwater more efficiently and adopt water sensitive urban design measures.
One way we’ve been doing this is by building raingardens in our local environment, such as the one at Edendale. It was created in 2006 and can be found in front of the outdoor shelter near the nursery.
We are working towards implementing the Integrated Water Management Plan, which provides a strategic direction for improved water management throughout Council operations and the Nillumbik community.
Raingardens are just as important at home as they are in our streets. They are an attractive, low-cost and easy-to-maintain way to keep cleaner, healthier rivers and creeks. For this reason Council has partnered with Melbourne Water to encourage homeowners to build their own raingarden to effectively manage stormwater at home.
For more information about the benefits of raingardens and how to build one, visit Melbourne Water’s raingardens website. Help Melbourne Water reach their target of 10,000 raingardens by registering your raingarden today.
What is a raingarden?
Raingardens help contribute to cleaner, healthier rivers and creeks, by removing contaminants from stormwater before it reaches our waterways. They can be built in private yards or public spaces such as streets, parks and schools.
Raingardens work by using layers of soil and gravel to filter out pollutants such as litter, oil, excess nutrients, chemicals and sediment. These normally build up on hard surfaces (such as roads, car parks, roofs and driveways) and are washed into drains and into our rivers, creeks and bays where they have a detrimental effect on waterway health and the animals, plants and fish that rely on them for their survival.
Interested in doing more to help your local rivers and creeks? Find out more about Waterwatch - a network of people committed to improving and protecting the health of our waterways.