Water
The Manly Council area is almost completely surrounded by water - North Harbour, Middle Harbour, the Pacific Ocean and Manly Lagoon all form part of our catchment area.
Water pollution is therefore a key issue for Manly, with the following common sources of water pollution including:
- waste water from carwashing entering the stormwater system
- sweeping or blowing leaves and lawn clippings into the stormwater system
- litter and cigarette butts entering the stormwater system - often having been thrown from moving vehicles
- sediment or concrete slurry run-off from construction sites
- paint discharges or spills
- high pressure cleaning causing sediment and cleaning chemicals to enter the stormwater.
Paying the price for water pollution
Manly Council treats water pollution very seriously and incidents are investigated as a high priority. Fines for polluting water range from $750 to $1,000,000 for an individual and $1,500 to $5,000,000 for a corporation. Council can also issue notices to make polluters clean up pollution spills or to prevent further incidents occurring.
The Manly Lagoon Fish Kill in February 2001 highlights the serious pressures facing our waterways. In the incident, a pesticide spill caused the death of over 10,000 fish and several water birds.
Report pollution incidents
All pollution incidents should be reported to Council as soon as possible:
- Environmental Health on (02) 9976 1511
- Rangers phone (02) 9976 1500 or (02) 9976 1630
Report all fish kills to:
- NSW Fisheries Inspectors for Northern Beaches & Sydney Harbour on (02) 9439 3148
- DECCW Pollution Line 131 555
For more information