Sewerage sought

By Mara Pattison-Sowden
A survey across the shire has had a massive response from residents wanting to take up the offer to have Yarra Valley Water replace their septic tank with a reticulated sewerage connection.
In particular those in Healesville, Yarra Junction and Warburton were strong in their support of the Yarra Valley Water Backlog Sewerage Program.
Yarra Ranges Council identified 8500 properties in more than 100 priority areas across the shire, with 72 per cent of 3303 responses wanting reticulated sewerage.
The council must lobby Yarra Valley Water against other councils for inclusion in the water program for the years 2013 to 2018.
Yarra Valley Water sustainable development manager Glenn Wilson said the program was geared towards properties that were not capable of containing their own septic tank effluent on site.
Mr Wilson said many of the septic tanks were installed more than 20 years ago, when environmental standards were different from today.
“The performance of many of the systems is no longer acceptable or appropriate today, and has a significant impact on the environment,” he said.
But residents would also see the benefits, he said, such as reduction of odours around the home, no more ongoing costs to maintain or upgrade their septic tank system, and improved property value, as well as protecting the health of the community.
Mr Wilson said property owners were expected to connect to the new sewer system within 12 months of it being available and needed to pay for the costs of disconnecting their plumbing from their septic tank systems and reconnecting it to the new sewerage services.
“Yarra Valley Water supports customers who connect within 12 months of sewer becoming available by waiving the $500 backlog contribution fee and the $94.30 plumbing application fee,” Mr Wilson said.
Mayor Terry Avery said property owners who had access to reticulated sewerage could choose not to connect as long as they can contained their wastewater within their property boundary.
“There are some 1600 properties across the whole of the Yarra Ranges who have reticulated sewerage available but have not connected,” he said.
“Yarra Valley Water has powers under the Water Industry Act to issue a connection notice to property owners who have not connected but only if the property has not contained its wastewater – something that council’s health officers can verify.”
Cr Avery said residents were encouraged to connect to reticulated sewerage as a healthier and safer option for the environment.
The council received about 100 wastewater-related complaints a year during the past five years, mostly regarding untreated grey water flowing into open street drains, failing septic tanks discharging effluent onto neighbouring properties, and odours.
The ongoing Yarra Valley Water project is part of a $300 million 20-year State Government initiative to help improve the health of the Yarra River and its tributaries.