Swan Hill Rural City Council
Domestic wastewater management is one of the public health functions delegated to local government under the Environment Protection Act 1970. Under the legislation Council is the permit authority for the installation and use of septic tank systems. There are also further responsibilities outlined in the State Environment Protection Policy (Waters of Victoria).
The Domestic Wastewater Management Plan has been redeveloped to assist Council officers in the management of current Onsite Wastewater Management Systems within the municipality and provide guidance for future development and installations. The plan will also assist Council to:
- Minimise potential risks to public health and the environment from the treatment and disposal of wastewater within unsewered areas;
- Assist property owners to prevent the discharge of wastewater beyond property boundaries and prevent individual and cumulative impacts on ground water and surface water quality;
- Provide clear guidance about the requirements for onsite wastewater management system installations within Swan Hill Rural City Council and Councils program for compliance and enforcement of non-compliant systems, and;
- Identify key priority areas and develop long and short-term strategies for the implementation of these priorities.
This new plan will supersede Council’s previous DWMP created in 2013. This plan is focused on ensuring that public health and environmental risks associated with individual septic tank systems are managed effectively through a range of internal capacity building and community engagement strategies. These strategies are contained in the Action Plan which forms part of this Domestic Wastewater Management Plan (DWMP).