Wastewater
We encourage disposal of stormwater via on-site soakage and/or rainwater harvesting for re-use.
What is wastewater?
Wastewater is the water that drains away each time you flush the toilet, pull the plug from a sink, have a shower or use water on your property. Wastewater is also known as sewage.
Wastewater contains bacteria and waste materials, which are treated and removed to protect public health and the environment.
Wastewater is 99 percent water. The other 1 percent includes organic matter such as human waste, food scraps, fats, oil and grease, and debris such as sand, grit and plastic.
Wastewater can also contain household chemicals, paint and pharmaceuticals, which can be harmful to our health and to waterways.
NEVER pour fats, oil or grease down drains or into toilets. These harden and stick to the inner walls of your wastewater pipes and build up over time to the point where the pipe is completely blocked.
ALWAYS use drain baskets/strainers to catch food scraps and other solids.
What if there is a problem?
On Your Property – a blocked drain or any leaks on your property are the property owner's responsibility to fix.
The property owner is responsible for their pipeline up until the point it connects to the Council main. This often includes a section in the road reserve between the property boundary the Council main.
We have some records of each service connection location. These can be viewed on your property file at our main office.
On public property – if you notice a leak on public property such as a footpath, road or park or you can smell a problem on any neighbouring property, please contact us as soon as possible (ph:209-0330).
Septic tanks
In rural areas and some properties close to our urban boundaries, a septic tank system is used to treat wastewater.
Septic tanks / onsite disposal is permitted when no pipe system is available, and when disposal on site can be done without harming the environment. It is the owner’s responsibility to have these maintained, emptied and cleaned.
Septic tank waste (or tankered waste as it's also known) can, in some circumstances, be disposed of into the Council's network. The disposal site is at Gore's wastewater treatment plant.
Only domestic effluent from residential properties can be discharged into the network. You can apply to discharge septic tank waste into the network using the online form below.
