Land and water pollution

Accidental spills and pollution events

Accidental spills of environmentally harmful materials can happen anywhere and anytime, polluting land and water. Even ‘eco-friendly' cleaners and chemicals can harm the fish, plants and insects in our streams and harbours, if they are washed into stormwater drains.

Under the Proposed Auckland Regional Plan: Air, Land and Water (Proposed ALW Plan) it is a legal requirement to develop an emergency Spill Response Plan (SRP) if you use, store or transport environmentally hazardous substances.

Preparing your own Spill Response Plan (SRP)

Following these six simple steps, you can formulate your own SRP.

1. Assess your risk
2. Reduce your risk
3. Think ahead - what will you need to cope with a spill?
4. Draft your plan - write two drafts, a detailed plan for staff training and a concise one page version for easy reference during emergencies
5. After a spill - review and restock
6. Train your staff.

What to do in case of a spill or leak

The key components of a Spill Response Plan are outlined below. Each plan will vary, depending on your company's needs and activities, but their basic function remains the same - providing a clear plan of action to all staff should a spill occur.

Be safe
- What is it?
- Do you need safety gear?

1. Stop the source
   - Turn off the tap, plug the leak or upright the container.
2. Protect stormwater
   - Confine the spill with sandbags, booms or other suitable materials
   - Block off access to stormwater grates with drain covers, shut-off valves etc.
3. Notify
   - Tell your supervisor
   - Inform other agencies if needed ARC if land or water pollution has occurred - 24-hour Water Pollution Hotline 09 377 3107.
4. Clean up
   - Neutralise hazardous substances
   - Pump or sweep into a safe container
   - Clean up all resides without allowing wash water or sweepings to get down stormwater drains or onto soil.
5. Dispose responsibly
   - Use a responsible waste disposal contractor to remove contaminated material and clean-up gear.
6. Restock and review
   - Immediately replace all used clean-up gear
   - Assess the cause of the spill and take any steps necessary to prevent recurrence.

Report water pollution to the 24-hour Water Pollution Hotline 09 377 3107

Other links:

• Being Prepared for a Spill, factsheet
• In Case of Spill or Leak, A3 poster 

Publications:

• Proposed Auckland Regional Plan: Air, Land and Water