Court Orders a Fine for Sewer Contamination
Date: 29-Jun-2017
Cairns Regional Council has successfully prosecuted a business that pumped grease and oil directly into the city’s sewerage system. At the order of Cairns Magistrates Court, the owner of a trade waste collection business was fined $15,000 plus legal costs, after Council officers observed waste material being pumped directly into a Council sewer via a hose in February 2010.
It was the first prosecution involving trade waste under the Water Supply (Safety and Reliability) Act 2008 in Queensland and is likely to set a precedent for other councils committed to maintaining best practice sewage treatment methods.
Water samples collected at the time of the contamination showed the highest levels of oil and grease obtained from within Council’s sewer system during the past decade. The fat content can cause the filtration and pump systems to fail, which can result in blockages and localised flooding, posing a significant community health risk. As the infrastructure is not designed to treat high levels of grease, there is also the risk that it will be released into waterways untreated.
While no significant environmental impact was recorded on this occasion, the successful prosecution should act as a deterrent to other individuals or businesses in the Cairns region and other parts of Queensland.
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