Bundaberg Regional Council is reminding residents who maintain their own on-site sewerage systems to keep up-to-date with regular checks during COVID-19 restrictions.
Thousands of households based in the Bundaberg Region are not connected to Council's sewerage infrastructure, operating on-site sewerage systems instead.
Council’s General Manager Infrastructure Services Stuart Randle said the systems needed servicing every three months but were often put “out of sight, out of mind” until problems started to occur.
“Due to the current COVID-19 situation and the sheer number of systems operating within the region, we would like to bring an awareness to this,” he said.
“Homeowners need to be more vigilant than ever in servicing these systems because without regular maintenance, they will begin to fail.
“In addition to the health risks associated with an on-site sewerage system not operating correctly, the financial costs to a property owner to have repairs carried out due to any type of failure or issue can be significant.”
Stuart said the risks involved in a non-serviced system increased considerably with people now recommended to stay at home.
“Compounded by the short supply of toilet paper and homeowners utilising alternatives out of necessity, in the event a wastewater treatment plant experiences a significant failure an entire house may become uninhabitable,” he said.
“Even a minor problem with your on-site sewerage system can result in several issues such as consistent sewer odours within the dwelling and surrounding neighbouring properties, disrupting neighbourhood harmony.”
For more information or to contact the Plumbing Compliance team with any questions or concerns phone 1300 883 699.
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You mention that these systems need to be “serviced”, but have not provided any action to be undertaken by the home owner.
What does servicing mean?