Onkaparinga prosecuted by EPA after treated sewage water damaged Sellicks Beach reserves
Onkaparinga Council was charged with causing environmental harm by the Environment Protection Authority after treated sewage water damaged two reserves in Sellicks Beach.
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Onkaparinga Council was charged with causing environmental harm after treated sewage water damaged two reserves in Sellicks Beach, it has been revealed this week.
The council’s latest legal services report shows Onkaparinga was prosecuted by the Environment Protection Authority after two reserves surrounding the Sellicks Beach wastewater treatment plant were flooded in 2015.
The report was tabled at this week’s council meeting.
The council said its defence had cost a total of $30,280, with law firm Norman Waterhouse’s fees – for the period between April and June this year – amounting to nearly $14,000.
At the time, Onkaparinga was using treated water from the plant to irrigate the area.
According to the EPA, the council was ordered to change its wastewater storage and disposal practices in 2013 after a reserve on Maritime Ave was “saturated” with treated wastewater.
However, a second incident was reported to the EPA in November 2015 and numerous damp and wet patches were observed on the two reserves.
Following an EPA investigation, the council was charged with breach of licence and causing environmental harm.
It took until December last year to reach the Environment, Resources and Development Court.
In the meantime the council had completed a 3km pipeline connecting the wastewater plant to the Willunga Basin Water Company, which provides treated water to vineyards in McLaren Vale.
The matter was resolved in court in June and the EPA withdrew the charges.
An EPA spokeswoman said no complaints had been made since the pipeline was finished in 2016 and follow-up inspections had confirmed compliance with licence conditions.
“The EPA will continue to monitor the operation and performance of the Sellicks Beach wastewater treatment plant,” she said.