Preparation Materials

Please print the following items before your Stormwater Investigation Day:

• • Print: Primary: Stormwater Drain Litter Record Sheets

  • Print: Secondary: Stormwater Drain Litter Record Sheets

  • Print a set of A3 size School Maps (one per group of three students)

  • Colour pencils

  • Digital camera or phone camera

Now that we have a firm understanding of the natural and urban water cycle, catchments and stormwater impacts and management strategies, it’s time to think about how we can make a difference in our school and community.

Use the knowledge we have acquired to think about stormwater impacts from your school on local water ways.

Many schools have large areas of hard surfaces like car parks, basketball courts, assembly areas or concrete quadrangles. These hard surfaces increase the amount of run-off after rain. This run-off, called stormwater, can carry dirt and rubbish with it to the nearest stormwater drain. These drains form part of a local stormwater network, which lead to the nearest waterway.

By doing a stormwater investigation, you can:

• find out what pollutants get into drains from your school

• work out the source of these pollutants

• create a Stormwater Management Plan to reduce pollution in the drains

• help to reduce stormwater pollution in local waterways

Stormwater Investigation

Mapping Activity & Recording of Data

Using an A3 School Map:

1. Begin by recording the date and location on your map.

2. We will walk the school grounds and record an (X) on the map to show the location of all stormwater drains.

3. Shade (pink) all impermeable ground surfaces.

4. Observe the slope or topography of the school yard and grounds:

Draw (arrows ---->) on map to illustrate the direction of stormwater flow.

This will help us to understand areas of high stormwater flow and pollution source (where pollution may be coming from.

5. Shade (brown) any areas where the grass won’t grow and / or erosion may be happening.

6. Shade (yellow) ares of heavy compaction where water is not able to permeate the soil.

7. Shade (blue) any areas that become flooded and / or muddy when it rains.

8. Shade (orange) any litter/waste hot spots in the school.

9. Shade (red) any obvious pipe leakages in the school.

10. Identify and label on map all garden areas without edging.

11. Identify foot traffic areas that are causing compaction of soil and / or erosion problems.

12. Label map with anything relevant to the investigation and finish by creating a map legend.

Using the Stormwater Drain Litter Record Sheet:

1. We will now narrow in on the worse polluted areas of the school.

2. Circle and number the 5 most polluted drains in the school on both the Map and Stormwater Drain Litter Record Sheet.

3. Record each of the drains contents in (Table 1).

4. Explain then the pollution source (where pollution is coming from) for each drain. Remember pollution can be: plastic rubbish, oil, chemicals, soaps and detergents, paint, leaf litter and grass clippings, excessive algae growth.

Interviews

We will arrange to interview the principal and general assistant if possible, to better understand any issues around the schools stormwater management.

To do this we will design interview questions and organise a speaker and scribe in each student group to ask questions and record the response.

Valuation

• After our investigation we will discuss results as a class and organise our information to be used in your School Stormwater Action Plan.

• We will then brainstorm ideas - how can we improve the problems we found?

• Are there any opportunities for re-use/capture within the school.

• Any ways that stormwater could be cleaned before leaving the school.

• As a group start to think about what processes would be needed to influence a project in own school.

• Prioritise ideas and decide on a realistic action.