Water and Our Harbour

• Climate Action
• Water and Our Harbour
  • Harbour water quality
  • Report water pollution
  • Save Water at Home
  • Water restrictions
  • Floodplain management
    • Double Bay Catchment Area
    • Paddington Catchment Area
    • Rose Bay Catchment Area
    • Rushcutters Bay Catchment Area
    • Watsons Bay Catchment Area
  • Our Water Saving Projects
  • Our water quality projects
    • Floodplain management
      • Double Bay Catchment Area
      • Paddington Catchment Area
      • Rose Bay Catchment Area
      • Rushcutters Bay Catchment Area
      • Watsons Bay Catchment Area
• Bushland and Biodiversity
• Community Programs and Events
• Targets and Reports
• Building and the Environment
• Sustainable Transport
• Map of Sustainability Projects

Protecting our amazing harbour

Keeping our waterways clean and beautiful is everyone’s responsibility. We can all make a difference. The best thing we can do is ensure the water draining from our land into the harbour is as clean as possible.

What are we doing?

Installing and maintaining pollution capture devices

Our specialised equipment and structures capture litter and filter pollutants found in stormwater and local creeks. Most of this essential technology is invisible. It's out of sight, hidden beneath our footpaths, parks and roads.

Crews regularly check these devices and clear their contents. Last year we removed about 500 tonnes of litter and plant matter before it polluted the harbour.

Cleaning our streets, parks and beaches

Our waste, parks and bush regeneration teams regularly pick up litter left in our parks, beaches and streets. We clean our beaches every day. You’ll see our sweeping tractors working when tides allow. At other times, our team members collect waste by hand.

Specially designed systems, including rainwater gardens, are natural filters to trap finer pollutants in stormwater.

Supporting Volunteers

Local volunteers play an important role in removing litter from our beaches. Rose Bay Beach and Watsons Bay Beach are two of our most popular beaches for volunteers to clean up.

• Our HarbourCare program supports individuals, community groups and corporate groups to get involved. We supply volunteers with bags, gloves and equipment.
• Our environmental grants program supports community groups such as Splash without the Trash who host monthly harbour beach clean ups.
• We’ve also supported the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia to install Seabins around their marina through a NSW government grant.

Get involved

Here are the top 3 things you can do to keep our harbour beautiful:

• At home do all you can to ensure only rain goes down the drain. Keep leaves out of gutters and wash your car on the grass. Dispose of chemicals and paints at local drop off events.
• When you’re out and about always pick up your dog’s poo. Make sure you put your rubbish and cigarette butts in the bin.
• Join one of the amazing community groups dedicated to keeping our harbour clean. Check out Splash without the Trash or Take 3 for the Sea.

More information

• Harbour water quality - learn more about what is being done to monitor and improve water quality
• Chemical Clean Out - safely dispose of household chemicals
• BeachWatch - check water quality at swimming sites
• Sydney Harbour Environmental Services - removing litter and debris on harbour waters
• HarbourCare volunteering - clean up our local beaches