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HOUSEHOLD SEWAGE TREATMENT SYSTEMS |
Your onsite sewage or wastewater treatment system if properly used and maintained can safely recycle all your household wastewater for use on your lawn or garden beds.
WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO?
To ensure your treatment system operates safely and effectively there are a few key Do’s and Don’ts.
DO’S
- Do use cleaning and laundry products labeled “septic safe” only.
- Do ensure you have the treatment system serviced regularly (usually every three months) by us. This will help prevent breakdowns and problems with the system. Your local shire council requires that your system is serviced by an approved service person.
- Do make sure treated water from your system stays on your property, don’t allow it to runoff into the street or onto your neighbours property. You can be fined for not complying. The table below gives separation distances for sprayed treated water, that is, how far your wastewater sprinklers must be from, for example, your house or fence line.
If your system distributes the treated water underground or under mulch then it can be closer to your dwelling than indicated below. We can advise on your specific requirements.
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WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT SEPARATION DISTANCES |
Type of Area, Feature or Activity |
Minimum Separation Distance |
| Bank of permanent water course (e.g. river, lake or stream) |
30 metres |
| Farm dams, intermittent water course, drainage channels |
30 metres |
| A bore or well used for domestic water supply |
30 metres |
| Property boundaries, paths, walkways |
4 metres when lower than the disposal area, 2 metres when higher |
| House, dwelling, children’s play areas |
15 metres |
| Water edge of swimming pool |
6 metres |
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DON’TS
- Don’t use fine droplet or mist sprays on your irrigation line, the fine spray can be carried a long way by the wind.
- Don’t allow surface water to flood the tank system or wastewater disposal area.
- Don’t use bleaches or strong disinfectants, or large amounts of natural antibacterial's such as eucalyptus oil. Your treatment system relies on beneficial bacteria to treat the waste water. Bleaches and other strong disinfectants can kill off these helpful bacteria, seriously reducing the system’s effectiveness.
- Don’t put cooking fat or oils down the sink.
- Don’t wash paint brushes or pour other chemicals in the sink.
- Don’t allow the treated water to come in contact with people or animals.
- Don’t use the treated water on your vegetable garden.
- Don’t pour Napisan or other soakers down the drain, soak clothes in a bucket and empty the bucket out on the grass instead.
- After mopping the floor, don’t pour the bucket of water (with Pine O Clean or other disinfectant/cleaner), down the drain. Empty the bucket out on the grass instead.
- Don’t use ‘Toilet Blue’ or toilet deodorizers that hang in the bowl. These add a continual low dose of disinfectant to the system.
WHAT IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG?
If the alarm light(s) is active, there is a bad smell or the tanks are overflowing contact us immediately.
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Printable version of this document |
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