Roof Cleaning

Roof restorers and pressure cleaning contractors are involved in many activities which can cause harm to the environment if inappropriate work practices are employed. Here are some tips to help you and your industry protect the environment and avoid costly fines.

On-site

Site conditions can influence the likelihood of pollution occurring. Assess each site individually and use one or more of the following controls:

• Disconnect downpipes so that water will not run directly into the stormwater system
• Collect run-off in drums/buckets for appropriate disposal
• Block stormwater drains with sandbags or absorbent material
• Contain the site with a silt fence or portable bunding
• Divert run-off to a well-vegetated area, ensuring the area does not become water logged and overflow
• Dig an infiltration trench close by and divert run-off to this trench
• Place filter socks in the downpipe, ensuring the gutters do not overflow
• Avoid the use of chemical cleaning agents wherever possible and investigate biodegradable alternatives
• Pressure cleaning asbestos roofs is not appropriate.

Disposal

Disposal methods for waste materials include:

• If run-off has been contained and collected, it must be disposed of at an appropriately licenced liquid waste facility and must not be disposed of to sewer or Council’s wastewater treatment plants
• Divert run-off to a well-vegetated area for filtration into the soil ensuring the area does not become waterlogged and overflow to the gutter
• Filter run-off through a sand filter or similar to remove solid pollutants.

Spills

If a spill does occur near a gutter, drain or waterway:

1.    Stop the source cease pressure blasting or washing immediately

2.    Contain the flow of run-off stop the spill from spreading and entering any gutters, drains or waterways. Suggestions include bunding, digging a collection pit, use of absorbent material such as kitty litter, saw dust and sand

3.    Clean up the spill always carry absorbent material (eg kitty litter) sandbags, a broom and shovel to help clean up spills. Dispose of the waste (including used kitty litter) responsibly. Never hose a spill down the gutter.

Penalties

Under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997, it is an offence to pollute any waters. Breaches of this legislation through inappropriate work practices may attract individual fines from $15,000 to $22,500 and $30,000 to $45,000 for corporations. 

Pollution includes the carrying out of any activity that is likely to allow any material to flow, fall, be washed or blown into the drain, channel or gutter.

Are you part of the problem or part of the solution?

Environmental protection is everyone’s responsibility. Knowing your role can save you money in fines and also prevent any negative publicity for your organisation. This information is provided as a guide for your industry. When using any of these control techniques you will need to monitor their effectiveness. Often more than one control method will be required.

Thank you for helping protect our environment.