Community project ‘Litter Free Coast and Sea’ has teamed up with Poole Park Life to encourage Poole residents and businesses to get involved with a new campaign to put ‘Only Rain down the Drain’. The campaign aims to empower local residents and businesses by showing how they can directly improve water quality in Poole Park’s water bodies and elsewhere, just by knowing what should go down which drains.
For a large part of Poole, rain water drains and foul sewer drains are separate. This means that anything going down a street, storm or rainwater drain is not filtered or treated before it is directly pumped into Poole Park’s lakes and lagoon.
Project Officer Sarah Spurling explained: "Understandably, most people don’t think about what happens to waste water once it’s gone down the drain, but which drain it goes down can make a big difference to what happens next, and how that affects Poole Park's popular lakes and lagoon. We will be working with businesses and the community to help make sure the right thing goes in the right place. This means that cleaning fluids, fats or oils all go down the foul drain to be treated and, when it comes to street drains, we all put ‘Only Rain Down the Drain’!"
The campaign will use artwork and drain markings (using environmentally safe materials), tailored advice for residents and businesses, interactive exhibits at events and an eco car wash!
Cllr John Rampton, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Open Spaces, Borough of Poole, said: “The two freshwater lakes and salt-water lagoon in Poole Park are fantastic features of the park and this campaign helps to ensure they are in the best condition for people and wildlife. Local residents and businesses need to be aware that checking and correcting misconnections is their responsibility. The water sports that take place on the lagoon, or boating lake, are completely safe, but if only rain goes down the drain then it will help to improve the water quality for the benefit of its wildlife, adding to the rare species that already live there. Let’s all work together for our lovely park and environment.
Look out for drain art, drop in to our events on Thursday 12 July and Thursday 2 August and visit www.pooleprojects.net/pooleparklife for more information.
Thursday 12 July 2018– information and interactive exhibits at the Lagoon Volunteer Day, litter pick, island improvements, build a raft out of used plastic bottles and eco car wash!