AS14 - Community Pollution Survey
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In this activity you will design, conduct
analyse and report on a survey of community attitudes, knowledge
and practices in relation to stormwater pollution.
Syllabus references
Content: 5.11.2(a) relate pollution
to contamination by unwanted substances.
Skills: 5.13.1 identify data
sources
5.13.2 plan first hand experiences
Time: 120 minutes
Refer to the EPA “Who Cares About
The Environment?” survey for further ideas about survey questions.
Develop and conduct a survey (knowledge,
attitudes, behaviour)
Analyse results of survey and report
to the school community, parents, local media, local government,
What to do
1.
Brainstorm a list of different types of landuse in the catchment.
(eg industry, commercial, residential, sporting fields, market gardens,
public gardens and parks, schools etc)
2. Brainstorm a list of issues that
are impacting on the water quality of your local waterway.
3. Brainstorm a list of behaviours
that would contribute to this pollution.
4. Suggest reasons for these environmental
behaviours.
5. Suggest alternative environmentally
appropriate behaviours.
6. From the above information, have
students develop potential questions that could be asked to investigate:
7. knowledge (what people know about
the local environment)
8. attitudes (what people think about
different environmental issues)
9. behaviours (what people are actually
doing to damage or protect the environment)
10. Question types could be closed (eg yes/no, true/false)
or open (invite comment).
11. As a class, decide who will be surveyed and the most
appropriate questions for your survey.
12. Conduct the survey
13. Compile and report on survey results by analysing the
results and reporting on key findings:
14. For closed questions, have students tally the responses
for each category and show their results as % (table &/or graph)
15. For open response questions, categorise key words responses
and collate survey responses.
16. Ask students to analyse
the results. (eg describe and summarise results; suggest reasons
for the findings)
(On the following pages is an example of a community survey. This
survey is used by school students to investigate stormwater pollution
issues in local industrial areas as part of Oz GREEN’s “kids,
companies and creeks” project).
Sample Community Survey
Name:
______
Address:
Phone: Fax: Interviewee
name: ______
What do you do in the catchment? (Circle
appropriate responses)
1. Resident 2. Industry 3. Auto services 4. Food/catering
5. Warehouse
6. Building supplies 7. Retail 8.
Engineering/manufacturing
9. Chemical 10. Printing 11.
Commercial
12. Other __________________________________
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2. Are the following
statements true or false?
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True/False
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(a) The stormwater drain in the street runs into the local
creek.
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(b) The best way to clean up an oil spill is to scrub it
with detergent and hose it off to the gutter.
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(c) Stormwater from the gutters goes to the sewage treatment
plant for treatment.
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(d) When it rains the sewage system leaks and overflows into
our local creek.
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(e) It is safe to swim at the beach after rain.
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3. What do you see as the underlying causes of pollution
in our local waterways?
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Agree
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Don’t agree
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(a) Lack of education – people don’t know how to
protect local waterways.
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(b) Pollution prevention practices cost too much for businesses
to afford.
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(c) People don’t really care what happens to the local
environment.
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(d) Environmental protection laws are not enforced by the
government or council.
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(e) Other?
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4. Do you know where the
stormwater drain from your place goes? Yes / No
___
5.
How does your company clean equipment and work areas?
___
___
6. How does your company
manage spills and accidental pollution on site?
___
___
_________
7. How does your company
prepare staff to ensure they know how to prevent pollution?
___
___
8.
Does your company have any pollution management plans or
methods? Yes / No
___ ___
_______________
9.
How does your company currently dispose of waste?
Glass Food
Paper
Metal _________
Waste oil
Chemicals Waste water
_________
Garden waste
Other (specify)
___
10. Are
any of the following materials used as part of your business?
oOil / grease oDe
–greaser oPaint / thinner / resin oDyes /
inks
oSand / earth / gravel
oDetergent / soap / cleaning fluids oAcids / alkalis / chemicals
oCement
oPhotographic chemicals oFood products oFertiliser
oPackaging oOther
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11. In the past two years has your company-
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Yes or no
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- been visited by staff from Council or NSW EPA offering
help on pollution prevention ?
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- decided for environmental reasons to re-use or recycle
wastes instead of throwing them away ?
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- stopped cleaning up by hosing out factory floor ?
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- installed stormwater pollution prevention signs in the
workplace (eg drain stencils) ?
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- conducted on site training for staff in pollution prevention
?
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- involved staff in preparing pollution prevention plans
for our business
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- installed pollution prevention devices such as bunding
drains, waste water collection pit ?
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12. Are you aware of current environmental legislation relating
to water pollution?
Yes / No
___
13. Are you aware that it is illegal to allow any materials
to enter the stormwater?
Yes / No
14. Are you aware that your company can be fined by Council
and EPA officers if you cause water pollution?
Yes / No How much can these fines be?
___
15. Comment:
_________ _______________________________________________________________
___
_________
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