The Environment Protection Authority has issued health warnings for residents and is investigating after Coliban Water began emergency discharges of Class C recycled wastewater from its Kyneton wastewater treatment plant to the Campaspe River last Friday.
The releases will impact landowners along the river downstream of the plant who draw water for stock and domestic use as the water is unfit for these purposes.
Affected residents are encouraged to attend a community meeting on Thursday from 6pm to 8pm at the Kyneton Mechanics Institute.
Macedon MP Mary-Anne Thomas said the water authority had worked with the major trade waste customer in the area, Hardwicks, on a long-term solution that involved Hardwicks purchasing land near the treatment plant and installing infrastructure to store and dispose of (via irrigation) treated wastewater.
“This is expected to be completed by March 2020,” Ms Thomas said.
“At the same time, Coliban Water is planning an upgrade to the treatment plant to improve the treatment processes to provide the recycled water to Hardwicks for irrigation. This is also expected to be complete in March 2020.
“These two projects will help to ensure there is no requirement for future releases of recycled water into the Campaspe River.”
All water users with a licence with Murray Goulburn Water or a riparian right along the Campaspe between Kyneton and Lake Eppalock are encouraged to contact Coliban Water to be placed on a notification register or local landowner Huntly Barton via email at: huntlybarton@bigpond.com
