❓ A Western Australian parliamentary question addresses a wastewater discharge incident at the Ariti Avenue pumping station in Wanneroo, seeking details on decision-making, environmental impact, and compliance. The Water Corporation provides responses detailing actions taken and impact assessment.
AnsweredQoN 450Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to an incident where wastewater was discharged into the environment at the Ariti Avenue pumping station in Wanneroo on or about 15 November 2012 and I ask: (a) who made the decision to allow the discharge of wastewater into the environment at the Ariti Avenue pumping station on 15 November 2023; (b) did the Water Corporation give approval for the discharge to take place before it occurred; (c) when was the Minister for Water made aware of the incident; (d) were there other options that could have been enacted that would not have involved the discharge of wastewater or limited the discharge, and if so, why were they not utilised; (e) how many tankers were used on the night to deal with the incident; (f) who paid for the tankers and what was the cost; (g) why were more tankers not utilised to prevent or minimise the discharge of wastewater; (h) in what way was the area in which the discharge occurred a ‘contained area’ and where exactly was the area and what were its dimensions; (i) did any wastewater flow into Lake Joondalup or the surrounding wet lands either immediately or over time; (j) how much wastewater was discharged; (k) did the Water Corporation contractor involved comply with all the terms of its contract and with all Water Corporation policies and if not, which contract terms or policies were breached; (l) did the Water Corporation comply with all laws, or policies and procedures in relation to this incident and if not, what laws or policies were breached; (m) has the Water Corporation or its contractors examined the site for evidence of contamination after 20 May 2013 and if so, when and what were the results of that examination; and (n) when was the last time a discharge of this size or greater occurred in the Perth metropolitan area?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
1 August 2013
Responded by
Minister for Water
Response time
51 days
(a) Personnel at the Perth Region Alliance (PRA) which operates and maintains the metropolitan wastewater conveyance infrastructure on behalf of the Water Corporation.
(b) The discharge was made in accordance with the operational procedures and authority levels within the PRA, and consistent with the principles of the PRA which were agreed with the Water Corporation.
(c) On 20 November 2012.
(d) The discharge was handled in accordance with the Water Corporation's contingency plan for wastewater overflows. This plan was devised to utilise the most appropriate methods to avoid or reduce discharges.
(e) Six.
(f) All tankering costs form part of the Water Corporation's operations and maintenance expenditure. Costs associated with the tankering totalled approximately $16,000.
(g) Additional tankers on-site would have created risks to the efficiency of removal of wastewater, and to the safety of the work environment.
(h) The 'containment area' was a naturally occurring depression approximately 50 metres north-west of the pump station.
(i) To the Water Corporation and PRA's knowledge, wastewater did not flow directly into Lake Joondalup. The wastewater overflow soaked into the ground in the containment area and was cleaned and thoroughly disinfected the following day. Clean in-fill material was also used to cover the affected area.
Testing conducted by the Corporation in the months following the incident confirmed there was no indication of risk to public health.
(j) 729 kilolitres.
(k) Yes - to the Water Corporation and PRA's knowledge.
(l) Yes - to the Water Corporation's knowledge.
(m) Yes - on 23 May 2013. No visible signs of contamination causing harm or risk to public health were evident. This is consistent with the previous examinations of the site since the incident.
(n) 29 May 2013.
(b) The discharge was made in accordance with the operational procedures and authority levels within the PRA, and consistent with the principles of the PRA which were agreed with the Water Corporation.
(c) On 20 November 2012.
(d) The discharge was handled in accordance with the Water Corporation's contingency plan for wastewater overflows. This plan was devised to utilise the most appropriate methods to avoid or reduce discharges.
(e) Six.
(f) All tankering costs form part of the Water Corporation's operations and maintenance expenditure. Costs associated with the tankering totalled approximately $16,000.
(g) Additional tankers on-site would have created risks to the efficiency of removal of wastewater, and to the safety of the work environment.
(h) The 'containment area' was a naturally occurring depression approximately 50 metres north-west of the pump station.
(i) To the Water Corporation and PRA's knowledge, wastewater did not flow directly into Lake Joondalup. The wastewater overflow soaked into the ground in the containment area and was cleaned and thoroughly disinfected the following day. Clean in-fill material was also used to cover the affected area.
Testing conducted by the Corporation in the months following the incident confirmed there was no indication of risk to public health.
(j) 729 kilolitres.
(k) Yes - to the Water Corporation and PRA's knowledge.
(l) Yes - to the Water Corporation's knowledge.
(m) Yes - on 23 May 2013. No visible signs of contamination causing harm or risk to public health were evident. This is consistent with the previous examinations of the site since the incident.
(n) 29 May 2013.
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