A $2.5 million capital works program over the next two years will help reduce the occurrence of sewage spills arising from heavy rainfall, Bega Valley Shire Council has said.
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The success of the program will also rely on the elimination of residential storm water pipes, incorrectly connected to council’s sewerage network.
Council’s water and sewerage services manager, Jim Collins said a joint effort by council and property owners is needed to improve the overall performance of the sewerage network by reducing inflow and infiltration of storm water during heavy rainfall.
“It’s important to understand that no sewerage system is entirely storm proof. When rainfall is heavy enough there is additional hydraulic load placed on the system,” Mr Collins said.
“During heavy rainfall we can experience inflow from residential storm water pipes that have been incorrectly connected to the council sewerage system.
“Many residents wouldn’t be aware of the problem, as it’s often a result of past poor plumbing practises. Typically the problem is a result of downpipes or other on-property plumbing fittings that have been connected to the sewerage system.”
“Property owners with the non-compliant plumbing are being informed of the problem. The work in most cases is minimal, and we’re happy to answer any questions.”
Water and sewerage services engineer, Chris Bess said that everyone had a role to play in keeping the environment as unpolluted as possible because every misconnected roof added a huge volume of water to the system.
”Inflow is a problem all over Australia and is not limited to any one area or era. We are taking a proactive approach to let property owners know that for whatever reason their lot is not plumbed correctly. Generally the older the house the more chance there is that a connection has been accidentally switched from storm water discharge to the sewer network. In addition broken and cracked pipes become more of a problem with age, particularly where clay pipes were used in the past,” Mr Best said.
Using money from a 10-year program council is spending $1.5 million this year and a further $1 million next year.
“The program is designed to keep the system as leak tight as possible, like it was when it was first placed in the ground. Our asset management plan recognises that council needs to ‘do our bit’ when it comes to looking after the pipes we operate, but without help from our connected customers there is only so much we can do,” Mr Best said.
“In 2016 so far the $1.5 million has gone towards sewer pipe-bursting and relining. The rest of the budget will continue this work as well as coating manholes with a new watertight barrier. There is no ‘quick fix’. We take the slow and steady path of constant maintenance to keep the sewer system in the best condition possible,” he said.
Mr Collins added: “We live in a beautiful part of Australia where local industries such as tourism and aquaculture are reliant on pristine waterways. It is vital that we work together to eliminate storm water related sewage spills.”