Sydney Water convicted over Lane Cove National Park sewage

Sydney Water has been convicted and slapped with a massive fine after more than 60,000 litres of sewage overflowed into a popular national park.

Sydney Water has been convicted and slapped with a $145,000 fine after more than 60,000 litres of sewage overflowed into a popular national park in Sydney’s north. Picture: Supplied

Sydney Water has been convicted and slapped with a $145,000 fine after more than 60,000 litres of sewage overflowed into a popular national park in Sydney’s north.

It comes after 64,000 litres of untreated sewage poured from a maintenance hole into Lane Cove National Park at North Epping in July 2018 following odour complaints by residents.

There was a strong odour and “pockets of sewage pulp” was found in the creek, according to court documents.

The discharge then flushed into nearby bushland, a local creek and the Lane Cove River and was only fully cleaned more than three weeks later.

“The water in the rockpools in the unnamed creek was turbid, had an oily surface film and emitted a sewage odour,” court facts stated.

“A few areas of bushland appeared to have been raked.”

It was also found that Sydney Water washed the raw sewage into the Lane Cove River instead of removing the remaining discharge from the bushland and creek.

The water utility pleaded guilty to water pollution and breaching its Environment Protection Licence following prosecution by the NSW Environment Protection Agency (EPA).

In court, Justice Nicola Pain said the three week period to clean up was a “prolonged failure” and convicted Sydney Water.

The judge condemned the company for opening the mains water valve when the full clean-up hadn’t been completed.

“Sydney Water could reasonably have foreseen the likelihood of harm and greater risk to human health (both unquantifiable) of opening the mains water valve on 29 and 30 July 2018, before adequate clean-up took place,” Justice Pain said.

The pollution was caused by the opening of a mains water valve, according to facts.

It is understood the overflow occurred due to a blockage in the sewer likely caused by tree roots.

Sydney Water was also ordered to pay $127,000 to the Lane Cove National Park Bush Regeneration Project and $24,369 in EPA’s investigation costs.