In the coming weeks, Goulburn Valley Water is set to release fully treated wastewater from its facilities in Nagambie, Yea, and Mansfield, following the recent rain and localised flooding in January.
The storage lagoons at Yea and Nagambie are approaching their maximum capacity, leading to the decision to release up to 1 megalitre per day into Wormangal Creek and the Yea River.
Likewise, Mansfield's storage is also nearing its limit, making it necessary to release up to 3ML per day into Ford Creek.
The Environment Protection Authority has approved this move, and construction is underway to add an extra 250ML storage to meet increased capacity needs.
Stuart Harris, GVW's wastewater and recycling coordinator, explained that releasing excess fully treated wastewater helps mitigate the risk of uncontrolled overflows. He assured that the water being released has undergone full treatment and meets Class C standards.
GVW has notified the EPA about these releases and will keep a close eye on any potential environmental impacts that were not anticipated.
Rigorous water quality monitoring processes have been put in place to safeguard the health of the local communities and environments.
