Page 4 - 2025 Spring 02 English
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Keeping our                                                                                                                 Down the storm drain


    waterways clean                                                                                                             These drains are often
                                                                                                                                mistakenly thought to be
                                                                                                                                linked to the treatment

                                                                                                                                network but in most cases,
                                                                                                                                their contents go directly to a
                                                                                                                                waterway, meaning that waste
                                                                                                                                containing harmful chemicals
                                                                                                                                such cleaning fluids, fats and
                                                                                                                                oils, paints and car washing
                                                                                                                                water can all end up polluting
                                                                                                                                our rivers and seas.




                                                                                                                                Litter from the air
       Wales is home to a                    Rivers, canals and streams                                                         Balloons, sky lanterns and

       network of amazing rivers,            A report by the Canal and River             Litter on the beach                    fireworks may look great, but
       lakes, canals and coastal             Trust revealed that over half a             Any litter that is discarded on        they can cause big problems.
       ecosystems. However, these            million plastic items reach the             our beaches will most likely           Once these items are in the air,
       waterways are threatened              seas every year, carried along              enter the sea due to the tides         we have no control over where
       by contamination from litter          rivers and canals. What’s more,             or weather.                            they go, and some can travel
       and waste, which poses risks          pollution also comes from                                                          for miles before landing in the
       to water quality as well as           road and agricultural runoff                                                       sea.
       wildlife, environmental and           and sewage overflows, which                 Down the toilet
       human health.                         combines with plastic pollution             Items such as wipes, cotton

                                             to have negative impacts on our             buds and sanitary products
                                                                                         that are wrongfully flushed
       It is estimated that 80% of           waterways.                                  down the toilet can cause
       litter in the sea has come from                                                   blockages or travel to sewer
       a source on land, but how                                                         overflows into our waterways.
       does it get there?
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