Story Title: Raingardens.
Episode: Nine.
Date: January 23rd 2010.
Presenter: Trevor Cochrane.

Stormwater pollution is the biggest threat to our local waterways, carrying pollutants such as heavy metals, oil, organic matter and excess nutrients to our local creeks, rivers and bay. Too many of any of these contaminants has a detrimental effect to our waterways, and can even lead to events like algal blooms.

Raingardens are a simple way to help the environment and improve the health of your local waterways. They are self watering as they capture stormwater from hard surfaces such as driveways and roof tops. They are low maintenance, particularly if planted with native species, and are a great feature in any garden.

What’s a Raingarden?

• A raingarden works by collecting stormwater from hard surfaces and filtering it through layers of sandy soil, removing pollutants that build up on these hard surfaces. The result of passing through these sandy layers is cleaner stormwater, which enters a slotted pipe in the bottom of the raingarden. The cleaner stormwater then flows into our stormwater system, which then enters a nearby river or creek.

• Native plants are recommended in all raingardens, as they are used to long, dry periods and can withstand being inundated with water during rainy periods. Native plants are also great at taking up excess nutrients and pollutants such as phosphorus and nitrogen, which are nutrients that help plants to grow.

• In urban areas when it rains, large volumes of stormwater enter our waterways at one time, often causing bank erosion to our rivers and creeks. Raingardens help slow the rate of stormwater entering our waterways, providing better conditions for many aquatic species, and improved river health.

• Raingardens can easily be built at home, and can be either built in the ground or above ground in a planter box. A planter box raingarden can be made from a variety of materials including corrugated steel, or recycled materials such as recycled timber or reused brick. You can be creative with your planter box, providing it is fully lined and strong enough to hold the raingarden.

• You can be creative with your designs and make whatever shape raingarden you wish so that it fits in with your garden surroundings. Be sure it is situated close to a downpipe, or located in a position to collect run-off from your hard surface.

• Melbourne Water’s 10,000 Raingardens Program promotes a simple and effective form of stormwater treatment. It aims to raise peoples’ awareness of what people can do easily at home to contribute to healthier waterways. Melbourne Water’s aim is to encourage voluntary construction of raingardens in home gardens – in fact 10,000 of them over the life of the program.

Join us next week on Garden Gurus (Saturday 30 January) to find out how you can be part of the program and build your own raingarden at home.

Click here for your chance to Win a Raingarden – Best New Raingarden Competition

Contact:
Melbourne Water
Address: PO Box 4342, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001
Phone: (03) 9235 7100
Fax: (03) 9235 7200
Email: raingardens@melbournewater.com.au
Website: www.melbournewater.com.au
Website: www.melbournewater.com.au/raingardens