Reducing Wastewater in the Tarago Catchment Area

Published on 24 July 2018

Baw Baw Shire Council is working with Melbourne Water and residents in the Tarago catchment area to monitor, manage and maintain their septic systems to protect clean drinking water and public health. 

There are seven drinking water catchments located in Baw Baw Shire, including the Thomson and Tarago Rivers, providing 61 per cent of Melbourne’s water supply storage capacity. They also feed into the Tanjil, Tyers and Latrobe River systems which provide valuable water resources for agriculture and industry within the region.

Of about 12,000 septic tank systems in the Shire (producing over 600 million litres of wastewater annually) almost 1,500 of these are in catchments used to supply drinking water.

Any septic system not working properly can be a risk to drinking water supply.

Amongst other impacts, wastewater can increase the nitrogen and phosphorus in local waterways resulting in increased growth of algae and weeds, negatively impacting the health of our aquatic ecosystems.

Council’s Domestic Wastewater Management Plan was reviewed in 2016 to assist with the efficient and effective management of domestic wastewater in a way that minimises risk posed by domestic effluent upon public health, the physical environment and waterways.

Since February, around 40 per cent of residents in the Tarago catchment area have had their septic tanks desludged.

Mayor of Baw Baw Shire Cr Joe Gauci said this is a great result for our environment helping to keep our drinking water healthy.

“Desludge contractors have been kept busy over the past few months pumping out septic tanks in the Tarago catchment area resulting in over 100,000 litres of wastewater being removed for further treatment and reuse”, said the Mayor.

“In order to protect our natural environment and water security we must work collaboratively with residents and water agencies to proactively manage septic tanks.”

All residents with septic tank systems are encouraged to attend an open-door information session with Council’s Public Health and Environment Teams and other relevant agencies.

When: 9.00am to 12.00pm on Wednesday 22 August Where: Neerim South Bendigo Bank Community Meeting Room

For more information about domestic wastewater management please visit www.bawbawshire.vic.gov.au/Wastewater

Image: Tarago catchment area, image courtesy of Melbourne Water.