Clean catchments

Preserving Bushland Preserving Bushland
You can't swim, fish or sail a boat at almost all of Sydney's reservoirs (there are only a couple of exceptions -see the section on recreation), and access to unspoilt bushland in Special Areas is restricted. But some activities have been going on since before the Special Areas were protected. For example, mining in the Warragamba Special Area began in the 19th century -- lead and silver were discovered in 1871 and coal is still mined there today. The SCA must work with the owners of these areas to ensure they don't harm water quality.

In the rest of the catchment, mining, farming, and housing can cause water problems. In some areas, sewage plants release effluent into the environment and rubbish is dumped in gullies and small streams near reservoirs. Other problems include cows grazing near streams, land damage by feral animals and weeds such as blackberries, prickly pear and willows. Unsealed roads add fine sediment to the water and erosion damages riverbanks.

These problems can be fixed if we all work together. People living and working in the catchment cooperate with the SCA to ensure the health of water flowing through their land. For example, potato farmers in Special Areas near Robertson work with the SCA to manage use of pesticides. The National Parks and Wildlife Service works with the SCA to ensure the bushland around reservoirs remains undisturbed. In a healthy ecosystem, the organisms and plants are better able to filter out impurities. Water treatment is expensive with negative effects if large amounts of chemicals are needed. It's cheaper and healthier when the environment does the cleaning.