Industry Feedback Sought on Changing DERM Requirements for Sewage Pump Stations
Date: 29-Jun-2017
Environmentally Relevant Activity 63 (ERA 63) in the Environmental Protection Regulations (EP Regs 2008) includes the operation of large sewage pumping stations. The ERA applies to stations with a design capacity exceeding 40kL per hour (11L/s) unless the pump is part of a sewage treatment plant. Guidelines for Development Approvals (DA) and registration certificates for these pumping stations are available on the DERM website and the current copy is available from the qldwater site at: www.qldwater.com.au/sewerage.
Based on this DERM guideline and industry contributions qldwater distributed guidelines and a template in 2010 for Service Providers to create individual Sewer Overflow Policies. These guidelines included a template for a Sewerage Incident Emergency Response Manual. These documents along with the qldwater Wet and Dry Well Inspection and Maintenance Manual are also available at the above site.
Discussions have been ongoing with DERM about the requirements for separate Development Approvals for large pumping stations. In the past many WSPs often sought DAs for pumping stations as part of the DA for an associated STP. Under the EP Regs 2008, this is no longer possible for large pump stations and even existing pumping stations require a DA if they have not been approved in the past. This is causing significant problems for members for whom the model conditions for such a DA are difficult or impossible to retrofit for existing stations. It is estimated that there are several hundred pumping stations of a size to trigger the DERM threshold across the state.
Practical solutions for this issue are being discussed. One immediate suggestion is a new Draft Guideline for ERA 63 with respect to large pumping stations. Industry feedback is sought on this draft guideline which is available at http://www.qldwater.com.au/ReviewDocuments. Members must log in first to access this document. All comments should be returned to Rob Fearon by 16 September.
A small expert group has been assembled to discuss this issue and review further draft documents issued by DERM. Any members interested in nominating to be involved on this group or maintaining a watching brief should notify Rob at rfearon@qldwater.com.au. An industry forum for open discussions on the issue is available to members at www.qldwater.com.au - members must login to join the forum.
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