The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has fined Tweed Shire Council $15,000 after it allowed partially treated sewage from Banora Point Wastewater Treatment Plant to spill into Terranora Creek last year.
The council holds an environmental protection licence that allows the release of treated wastewater into Terranora Creek.
But it discharged partially treated wastewater that exceeded the limits into the waterway between 5 – 8 November 2017.
The council’s engineering director David Oxenham said that ‘as soon as our staff became aware of this issue, they worked immediately to limit the release of effluent and implemented an emergency response. ‘
‘The council also undertook significant operational works to ensure that all subsequent effluent released was compliant with licence requirements,’ he added.
He says that since the event the council ‘has undertaken an incident cause analysis and has implemented key findings to reduce the risks of a similar event in the future.’
‘We have made improvements to our mechanical and electrical controls at the site as well as delivered additional training to operational staff.’
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