Rubbish is a drain for fish and waters
A class of primary school students want Marlburians to know that drains are for rain only.
Room 3 at St Mary's School in Blenheim have been studying stormwater drains this term as part of a year-long investigation into water.
St Mary's School teacher Tina Connor said anything that went into the storm drain went down the Taylor River and out to sea untreated.
"Cigarette butts, chip packets, we just think that people don't know that."
She said her class of 11 and 12-year-olds decided to raise awareness of this so they designed and made posters to stick in shop windows, and spent the morning last Friday handing out information pamphlets on Market St.
The pamphlets said not to pour chemicals into stormwater drains, and to be aware when washing your car that cleaning detergents and oils can kill native fish and plants.
The class also hammered blue-plastic plaques onto the sidewalk in the town centre with "Drains Rain Only" emblazoned on them as a reminder to the public.
Marlborough District Council environment co-ordinator Ali Kay said it was a nice visual reminder to people not to pour things down the drain.
She said the actions of the class were "fantastic because it was student driven".
Pupil Mackenzie Dawson, 11, said she was enjoying learning about waterways. "It is good that we are getting people to not pollute our seas and kill our fish."
- The Marlborough Express
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