Onsite Waste Water Management Systems
Unsafe Discharges
Some materials must not enter your septic system, otherwise problems will almost certainly arise. These include
- Stormwater from downpipes or rainwater tank overflows
- Backwash water from pools or spa pools
- Solid materials such as paper (depending on the system), plastic, sanitary napkins, tampons, nappies or nappy liners
- Trade waste from commercial or industrial premises
- Paint, petroleum products or other solvents, strong alkaline, acid or bleaching agents
- Antibiotics and some other prescription medicines.
Types of Systems
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an aerated wastewater treatment system?
Why do I need warning signs and need to keep humans and animals away from the irrigated wastewater?
What is an “approval to operate”?
Operating a system of sewage management is a prescribed activity under section 68(F10) of the Local Government Act 1993 and clause 45 of the Local Government (General) Regulation 2005. This means that an approval to operate a system of sewage management must be obtained from the local council.
Approval to operate a system of sewage management requires the landowner to take all reasonable steps to minimise transmission of disease, pollution of water and degradation of land as a result of sewage management activity and requires that the landowner inform the Council about those activities and pay fees to contribute to the Council’s costs of managing the cumulative impact of sewage pollution.
Why should on-site sewage system owners have to pay council for an approval?
Most of the costs of operating an on-site sewage management system are borne by the landowner or resident, but the Council is responsible for supervision and environmental management. Residents in sewered areas pay for supervision and environmental management through sewerage charges, which include load based EPA licence fees and other environmental management costs. This program, known as Septic Safe, provides monitoring and assurance of water quality, better control of effluent discharge, supervision of plumbers and service agents, education programs and practical support to assist landowners.
Is Council approval required for existing systems?
Landowners with any type of on-site sewage management system are required to obtain a council approval to operate. Councils are entitled to charge a fee to cover the cost of registration and assessment. In some environmentally sensitive areas Councils will also be conducting function checks to confirm the performance of systems considered high risk. Please refer to Council’s Onsite Wastewater Management Strategy for further information on requirements.
What will Council do if it does not receive a service report?
Council will send a letter reminding the resident of the need to have the system serviced. If a service report is not received a penalty infringement notice for $330.00 may be issued. It must be noted that it is the responsibility of the owner or licence holder to ensure that the service technician provides council with a service report. This is particularly relevant after the first letter has been sent.
How can I improve my irrigation system and irrigation field?
Ideally treated wastewater should be irrigated over an area of approximately 1000m 2. This is considered a large enough area for the soil and vegetation to or utilise wastewater without any adverse effects. The larger the area the less likely it is that wastewater will run off into bushland, creeks, and neighbouring properties when it rains. This can also be helped by diverting stormwater away from the disposal area with the use of diversion mounds or drains.
To spread the wastewater over such a large area it maybe necessary to divide the irrigation system and area into 2 or 3 zones with the use of manual or automatic valves (indexing valves). This is necessary as there is generally only enough wastewater in the irrigation chamber of the AWTS to irrigate approximately 300 m 2 at a time. A good example of an irrigation system is attached to the end of this document.
Your irrigation system will also work better if you install filters at the start of the irrigation system and you use pipes and fitting designed for wastewater reuse. These can be identified through their Lilac colouring or striping. Where sprinklers are used these should be coarse droplet that throw no more than 2 metres at a height of 600mm. This is to avoid the wastewater becoming aerated or windborne.
Are AWTS still allowed to be installed in the greater Lithgow area?
Yes, but these days they can only be installed on larger properties and where it can be demonstrated, through a site and soil assessment, that the land can sustain the system without any risk to public health and the environment.
What would Council do if they found a person discharging wastewater directly into a creek, bushland, or a stormwater service, or other water body?
These are offences under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 for polluting water. Council would consider a prosecution or issuing penalty infringement notice (fine). Minimum fines for such offences are $750.00 for individuals or $1500.00 for corporations.
Will council be inspecting my AWTS?
Council will be randomly inspecting AWTS within the local government area. This is to ensure that the service technicians are servicing systems within the Local Government Area to a satisfactory standard. Council must receive quarterly service reports from service technicians and will be monitoring this through the database system. It is your responsibility to ensure your service technician is forwarding your service report to Council. If these reports are not received, Council may inspect your AWTS at a cost to you of $70 and you may be issued with a penalty infringement notice (fine).
Further information
Onsidte Sewage Management Strategy
This Management Strategy has been developed to help Lithgow City Council assess, regulate and manage the selection, design, installation, operation and maintenance of on-site sewage management systems.
The easy septic guide
If your home is not connected to the sewer, this booklet is for you.
Septic Tank and Absorption Trench
A guide to looking after your septic tank and absorption trench.