Concrete Industry Project
Waitakere City Council's Cleaner Production team, in partnership
with Ecowater and the Auckland Regional Council Pollution
Response team, began a project with the Concrete industry in
July 2005. The aims of the project are to reduce the number
of concrete-related pollution incidents in the city and as a
result of this help to improve the image of the concrete
industry, as well as protect our streams and waterways.
The Project
Concrete and cement products contain burnt lime, which kill fish, aquatic plants and insects with chemical burns.
Concrete activities that commonly cause pollution include
delivering concrete, laying or pouring concrete, pumping
concrete, cutting concrete, exposing aggregate driveways and
concrete grinding. Both concrete particles and any water
that has come into contact with wet concrete are highly
toxic to our waterways. In February 2003, 1000 eels were
killed by concrete in a Pakuranga stream. August 2003 saw
several eels killed in a Titirangi stream by washing from an
exposed aggregate driveway. In Westmere in March 2004, the
pouring of a concrete retaining wall resulted in the death
of 40 banded kökopu (Kokopu are the adult form of the fish
species know as whitebait), or native trout, and 10 eels.
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| If you don't contain concrete
contaminated wastewater... |
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...it will end up here |
Information for the Concrete
Industry
Cleaner Production is undertaking consultation project
with the concrete industry to identify opportunities for
improving business practices in an effort to help improve
the image of the concrete industry and ensure a higher level
of environmental protection, the aim is to support the
industry to find practical solutions that will work for
everyone and protect both their image and that of the
cities.
What can I do?
- Fill out the industry survey below.
- Prevent any concrete waste or wastewater from entering the stormwater (roadside) drains. Discharges can be prevented by
diverting (by sweeping or scraping) waste to natural ground
and allowing it to soak into the soil; blocking off a
stormwater drain outlet pipe then pumping or bucketing the
wastewater onto the grass; or collection of wastewater by a
sucker truck.
- Report pollution incidents so that they can be properly
contained and/or cleaned up. Contact Auckland Regional Council 24
hour Water Pollution Hotline on (09) 377 3107.
- Itemise any additional costs related to environmental
protection (e.g. sucker trucks) on quotes to educate your
customers.
- Contact the
Cleaner Production team to see what else
you can do to improve your business's environmental
performance.
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Concrete Industry Survey Form (Size 10K)
Resources from the Auckland Regional Council for the
Concrete Industry:
Information for Residents
The focus is often placed on the responsibility of
concreting contractors to ensure environmental protection
but Waitakere City Council and the Auckland Regional Council
would like to remind residents that they too are responsible
for the actions of contractors they employ, and also for any
DIY concreting work they may be undertaking. If you are
employing a contractor or carrying out concrete works you
need to ensure there are no discharges to the environment.
All stormwater flows untreated to the nearest waterway, and
then to the sea, and it only takes a small amount of
pollution to affect stream life. Under the Resource
Management Act, homeowners as well as employers and
contractors can be held liable for clean-up costs.
What can I do?
- When getting quotes ask potential contractors what
environmental protection measures they will take if you give
them the job.
- Report any pollution incidents you may see to the Auckland
Regional Council 24 hour Water Pollution Hotline on (09) 377
3107.
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