Time catchpits did the job they are capable of!

15 August 2006

Media release from ARC Chairman, Michael Lee

Catchpits are everywhere – there are thousands all over the region, simple low tech devices, installed for drainage purposes. They also have a water quality role by capturing stormwater and settling out contaminants before they get into our streams, estuaries and harbours.

But in order for catchpits to work at their optimum efficiency – they are capable of capturing sediment over 100 microns, including around 80 per cent of copper and 50 per cent of zinc, as well as non-floatable litter – they need to be cleaned out regularly.

If a catchpit is not cleaned out by the council responsible for managing it, it becomes an ineffective stormwater management device; as sediment, contaminants and rubbish are forced out through the outfall pipe or clog it, instead of settling to the bottom of the pit as
they are supposed to.

Regionally, tens of millions of dollars are being invested in improving Auckland’s water quality and ensuring that we can take pride in waterways boasting aquatic life and eco-system health – but everyone must play their part.

I only have to walk 50 metres from my office to find two catchpits full to the top with rubbish, sediment and water – and they are sure to overflow the minute a storm hits, but this is just one of many examples around the region.
With these devices already in place all over our region, city councils have a responsibility to make them work as well as they can. The message is simple – let’s get the catchpits cleaned out regularly, and not make stormwater management harder than it needs to be.

ENDS

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