Nearly 600 properties in Warrandyte, south of the Yarra River in Victoria, are set to receive new sewerage services to replace outdated septic systems.
Yarra Valley Water Managing Director, Tony Kelly, said the new system will allow residents to replace their current septic tank systems with more environmentally friendly sewerage services.
“Work has recently been completed in South Warrandyte allowing some customers to connect to the sewerage network. The sewer backlog program is also currently underway in North Warrandyte, where we recently held a community information session about the proposed designs,” Mr Kelly said.
“Consultation with the community in South Warrandyte helped to shape the project after the area was identified for Yarra Valley Water’s backlog sewerage program by the local council. The remaining customers in the vicinity of the Warrandyte High School will be able to connect after power has been made available to our pumping station in Alexander Road. We expect this to occur in July and will be advising customers accordingly. Properties on the program have septic tanks to manage their domestic wastewater which do not meet adequate treatment standards, potentially creating public health and environmental problems.
“When most of these septic systems were installed, environmental standards were very different from today. The new sewerage services will provide enormous benefits to residents, such as reduction of odours around the home, no need to maintain or upgrade their septic tank system, as well as protecting the health of the community and local environment.
“We are working with Warrandyte residents to give them an opportunity to have their say on the sewerage servicing options recommended for the area. The final sewer design for South Warrandyte took into account any feedback we received from residents; a number of sewerage options were discussed with the local community to find the best solution possible to meet their needs.
Some construction has already started in North Warrandyte with completion expected towards the end of 2015,” Mr Kelly said.
