Tungamah Wastewater Community Update

North East Water and Moira Shire Council have been working to identify potential solutions to wastewater management in Tungamah.

Currently wastewater services in Tungamah are managed by on-site treatment using, predominantly, septic tanks  which are the responsibility of Moira Shire Council. There are a number of direct discharges of sullage to council drains  which pose both environmental and public health risks.  Further to this, many of the existing septic tanks are undersized or performing unsatisfactorily.

The objectives of the wastewater project are:

  • Elimination of pollution and adverse public health impacts resulting from discharges of sullage and septic overflows to the drainage system;
  • Elimination of public health concerns and odour problems, resulting in improved public amenity;
  • Potential for reuse of reclaimed water to irrigate the recreation reserve and/or other public open spaces.

Initial investigations undertaken by consultants GHD identified a Septic Tank  Effluent Drainage System (STEDS) as the preferred wastewater solution. 

Since this work was completed, North East Water has undertaken further detailed assessments including septic tank and household drainage assessments in early 2009.  This provided North East Water with valuable information on the condition of current septic tanks in the town.

Based on the outcomes of these assessments and preliminary financial assessments, NEW has identified that either a STEDS or a Modified Conventional sewer may address wastewater needs and issues for Tungamah. 

Details of each of the identified options are provided in the attached community news for residents to consider. 

PDFTungamah Wastewater Community News (190 KB)