Compare and Contrast

Stormwater and Wastewater

LI: To understand the difference between stormwater and wastewater

Know Your Drains!

There are 2 types of drains (see the diagram above):

• Inside drains like your toilet, sinks and washing machine that go to the sewer treatment plant.
• Outside drains like your gutters, driveway drains and roadside stormwater drains that go directly into our streams, lake and beaches without any treatment!  So anything tipped, washed or accidentally spilled into an outside drain will end up in our streams, lake and on our beaches – and then we swim and fish in it!

The Main Message to Get Out There!

• Nothing but clean rainwater should run into stormwater drains.  When chemicals and wastes such as oil, paint, detergents, or even food and green waste (leaves etc.) flow down stormwater drains, they run directly into streams or the sea untreated.  These pollutants can kill fish, shellfish, insects, plants and other living things, as well as polluting the water we swim in!

Challenge 1

Read the statements below and copy and paste them onto the chart. To do this correctly you will need to identify which statements are about wastewater and which statements are about stormwater

Compare and Contrast Chart

Stormwater

Wastewater

Collects wastewater from outside your house ✓ Collects rainwater from roofs, yards and driveways✓ Flows into stormwater pipes which carries run-off into the nearest stream, harbour and beach✓ Pollutants include rubbish, paint, animal faeces, garden rubbish, pesticides, air pollution, chemicals, soil, grass clippings, grease and oil, detergent, rubber, heavy metals from cars such as zinc and copper✓ Goes down roadside drains or stormwater drains on roads yards and car parks.✓

Goes down pipes into sewage pipes Flows into sewage treatment plant before being dispersed into the environment✓ Collects wastewater from inside houses, offices, schools, factories etc✓ Pollutants include food scraps, detergents, paint, human faeces, grease and oil✓