10.3 What you can do
There are many simple things you can do to help keep waterways clean and water resources plentiful. Here are some you can try:
- Use environmentally friendly dishwashing, shower and laundry soaps – think about the chemicals you are putting down the sink.
- Use less water: have shorter showers, do fewer loads of washing, water the garden less, and talk with your family about installing a rainwater tank.
- Reuse water where possible, like using shower water for your garden.
- Reduce the amount of fertiliser and pesticides you use in your garden.
- Clean up leaves and other organic matter on your street and compost them or add to your green bin. This prevents them being washed into waterways where they decompose, negatively affecting water quality.
Want to be more involved?
Join the WaterWatch program (and encourage your friends and family to join too). This is a volunteer program in which people check the quality of water at sites around the ACT. There are over 200 sites to choose from so it’s easy to find one nearby. The Atlas of Living Australia uses the data on water quality, water bugs and river plants for research, which has helped government make decisions about how to best care for aquatic ecosystemsA biological community of interacting living and non-living things. More.
Want to know more? Have a look at what the Southwell Scout Venturers are doing to improve our knowledge about the ACT’s aquatic ecosystemsA biological community of interacting living and non-living things. More.
You can also join a community group that improves our riparianThe land and vegetation along the edges of creeks, rivers, lakes and wetlands. More zones by removing invasive vegetation and planting native species. For information on community groups see Community leadership in environment, sustainability and climate action and the ACT Environmental Volunteers website.