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Melbourne's water
storages are currently at:

41.9%

breakdown by reservoir

(you can click on each reservoir
for more information)

Thomson: 27.2%

Cardinia: 43.4%

Upper Yarra: 69.9%

Sugarloaf: 84.1%

Silvan: 88.9%

Tarago: 60.5%

Yan Yean: 54.6%

Greenvale: 66.6%

Maroondah: 100.0%

O'Shannassy: 100.0%

your role

A toilet is not a rubbish bin.

A toilet is not a rubbish bin.

What goes in your toilet, and down your sinks and drains, can affect the environment. Even though sewage is treated, some household items that get into sewerage system can still end up in Port Phillip Bay and the ocean.

In the bathroom and kitchen

Did you know that the Eastern Treatment Plant removes around 14 tonnes of rubbish from our sewage every day? That's about of ten family cars full of rubbish!

You can help protect the environment by considering the items that shouldn't go down the sink or toilet.

Here are some tips...

Tips
Rubbish in the bathroom These items should always go into the bin:
  • Nappies
  • sanitary napkins
  • tampons
  • bandages
  • cotton buds
  • razor blades
  • syringes
  • other plastic items
Medicines should be taken to your local chemist for them to dispose.
Rubbish in the kitchen Avoid putting cooking oil, fats or food scraps down the sink. Fat build-ups in the pipes below your home are a common cause of sewer blockages. Instead wipe your pots and pans with a paper towel.

Put vegetable scraps on the compost or in the bin.

Buy a sink strainer and empty it into your compost heap or bin.

Before rinsing your fruit and vegetables in the sink, make sure you remove the brand labels and put them in the bin.

In the laundry

The average household uses three times more detergent than manufacturers recommend for washing dishes and clothes.

Detergents contain phosphate and nitrate, which can be very harmful to the environment.

Tips
Detergents in the laundry Use less detergent. This will reduce the impact detergents may have may have on the environment and save money on your grocery bill.

Choose detergents that are phosphate-free and/or nitrate-free.

In the garden and garage

Hazardous chemicals used in the garden or in the garage, such as paints and pesticides, can eat away at your pipes and damage the environment. These chemicals also can be hazardous to people working on our sewerage system.

Tips
Chemicals in the garden and garage Never pour used motor oil, paints or other chemicals down the sink. If you need to get rid of paints or other chemicals, contact Sustainability Victoria (Free call 1800 353 233 or visit their website) for the next collection date in your area.

Use water-based paints whenever possible - they are less harmful to the environment.

If you are using oil-based paints, however, first clean your brushes and rollers in turpentine. The paint/turps mixture should be allowed to evaporate to sludge. After a few days, put the dried up mixture in the bin.