Let's Strain the Drains Warrnambool, Victoria - Project Results 2022

Let’s Strain the Drains – Warrnambool, is the second monitoring project for stormwater drain related marine debris in Victoria, following the model established in Port Phillip Bay.

Being a significant transport pathway for pollutants, stormwater is a key piece of the marine debris puzzle as it acts as an outflow point for litter in urban runoff.

To address the increasing amount of litter washing up on Warrnambool beaches, 10 stormwater drain traps were installed by the Cleanwater Group in consultation with the Warrnambool City Council. In order to obtain land-use relevant data, five traps were placed in two different land-use type areas: Central Business District (CBD) and Industrial Precinct.

The traps were emptied every 8 weeks and the contents of the traps are then sorted and counted together with local community volunteers in open audit events, and data submitted to the Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI) Database.

The AMDI Database is used to identify and monitor on the sources and distribution of litter originating from both urban areas that would normally flow through the stormwater system into the ocean.

This innovative project is delivered by Tangaroa Blue Foundation and Cleanwater Group with support from the Warrnambool City Council and supported by the Victorian State Government.