Zoe Moffatt
Deep Creek Land Owners Group is concerned about Greater Western Water’s (GWW) planned discharge into Deep Creek.
GWW informed the Romsey community on July 14 that it would release class B recycled water into the creek from July 24, due to the Romsey Recycled Water Plant (RWP) high storage levels.
This announcement follows GWW’s discharge of recycled water into Deep Creek in September 2022, without approval from the environmental regulator.
In response to questions from Star Weekly, Environment Protection Authority (EPA) northwest regional manager Dr Scott Pigdon said the EPA was aware of the discharge but did not approve it.
“The company lodged an emergency discharge application on July 21, 2023, but EPA did not approve the application as it did not meet the criteria for an emergency, as outlined in the Environment Protection Act 2017,” Dr Pigdon said.
Monegeetta resident Randall Gerkens said the land owners group, of more than 40 individuals, lacks confidence in GWW following last year’s discharges.
“It seems to us that the key reason the … discharges have occurred is the failure of GWW to undertake the works required to upgrade the Romsey Sewage Plant,” he said.
“[This includes] sufficient capacity for inflows from the growing towns of Romsey and Lancefield including the construction of sufficient waste water storage regardless of seasonal weather conditions.
“GWW must put a stop on the discharges proposed … and instead take steps to transport the excess sewage waste to another treatment plant.”
Dr Pigdon said the discharge to Deep Creek has a low environmental risk, but the EPA will be conducting sampling of the water.
“The level of treatment and current good flows in Deep Creek mean that the risk to the environment is considered low,” he said.
“EPA takes any discharge outside licence conditions seriously and will be conducting sampling along Deep Creek [this] week to confirm the quality of water being released.
“EPA will then take appropriate action in line with its Compliance and Enforcement Policy.”
Mr Gerkens said he has found GWW’s communication poor.
In a letter sent to Mr Gerkens, GWW said the release was required because the Romsey RWP storage levels exceeded 90 per cent full “due to a very wet spring in 2022 and reduced irrigation season“.
“Without action, we expect the plant will exceed the safe operating limit by the week commencing August 7, 2023,” GWW said.
“[GWW] is left with no other option than to plan for an emergency controlled release … daily releases will be required through to at least October 2023.”
In response to questions from the Star Weekly, a GWW spokesperson said it takes the health of the creek seriously.
“We take the health of the creek, environment and community seriously and are rigorously treating and testing the water being released accordingly,” the spokesperson said.
“We informed the Romsey community, downstream landholders and the EPA of our need to release recycled water on July 14.
“We uploaded an announcement on our website and directly called the EPA and landholders downstream of the plant [and] updated our announcement on July 25.
“The water we release is class B quality as per EPA guidelines.”
