THE NAMBUCCA Valley Council informed the community on Thursday 24 March 2022 that the Nambucca River was not safe for swimming owing to sewage overflow.

Council advised against swimming until the flood waters had receded.

The incident was reported to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).

The poor condition of the water was the result of high intensity rainfall that occurred on the night of 23 -24 March 2022.

“Stormwater has entered Council’s sewage system in Macksville causing some overflows that would have discharged into the Nambucca River,” read a Nambucca Valley Council social media post.

On this night the Macksville Sewage Treatment Plant measured 96mm of rain, with 120mm measured in the Industrial Area, according to Richard Spain, Manager, Waste and Wastewater at Nambucca Valley Council.

Mr Spain said that the intense rainfall on that night, and the fact that everything was already very wet, contributed to the overflow.

News Of The Area asked Nambucca Valley Councillor David Jones if there have been any changes that have created more pressure on the infrastructure.

“There has been a small number of additional houses but the system is designed to cope with that,” Mr Jones said.

“The major change that we are seeing is more frequent extreme weather events, and this is showing up the weak points in our system.”

Mr Spain told News Of The Area that upgrading the infrastructure for stormwater would cost a huge sum of money.

Cr Jones said, when asked about the cost of updating the systems, “The Council’s ability to upgrade our sewage system is all dependent on finances, the cost of building and maintenance is increasing across all infrastructure sectors.

“Personally, I think we should approach the State and Federal Governments to lobby for grant funding for these important areas.

“We see grant funding from all sorts of bubble and squeak, but our community really needs strong infrastructure.

“The sewage system like many other infrastructure assets is asking for and needs ongoing work.”

Demands placed on the system owing to new housing developments is also a concern that Cr Jones says needs to be addressed.

“Before we start having major housing subdivisions, like the Valla Growth Area, we must take into consideration that these added demands will be putting further stress on our sewage infrastructure, which is clearly struggling.”

Mr Spain told News Of The Area that when there is a sewage overflow, Council will alert the community and advise against swimming in the river until the flood waters have receded.

Notifications will be provided on the Nambucca Valley Council Facebook page and the Nambucca Valley Council website.

A separate incident occurred on 22 December 2021, when sewage overflow discharged into Beer Creek and entered the Nambucca River, however Council stated this was caused by a blockage rather than extreme weather.

 

By Rachel MCGREGOR-ALLEN