Get  Involved

The project’s early findings highlight that Rarotonga’s natural environment is strongly interconnected and at risk, at least in part because of the current lack of public sanitation infrastructure, but also from everyday products that harm the environment when they end up in our water.

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Groundwater and water in the lagoon are mixing. This means land-based activities, such as agriculture, waste disposal and septic tanks, directly affect the lagoon’s water quality.

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We need your help to protect our lagoons

Toxic material dumped on the ground, or in streams, may make their way into groundwater and eventually into the lagoon. Examples of common products likely to cause issues are insecticides, weed killer, pharmaceuticals, paint and motor oil.

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We need to take a more conscious approach to choosing the products we use on land, and do more to protect our streams.

If we don’t make changes, the current issues at Muri will worsen, and develop in other areas around Rarotonga and around the Cook Islands.

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Try these ways to protect our lagoons:

• Maintain septic tanks and other private waste systems to a high standard

• Stop draining swamps – they play an important role in keeping our lagoon clean

• Don’t dump toxic substances on the ground - eg insecticides, weed killer, pharmaceuticals, paint, motor oil (they get into the ground water, then the lagoon)

• Let plants grow along stream edges

• Use phosphate-free laundry soap

• Use nontoxic household cleaners

• Keep pigs and other animals away from streams - fencing them out is ideal

• Don’t burn rubbish close to streams.

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