EPA Director Regulatory Operations Giselle Howard said that during this incident Sydney Water failed to clean-up the raw sewage as promptly as they needed to.
“Sydney Water is required to take all necessary actions following a sewage overflow to minimise impact on the environment and public health,” Ms Howard said.
The EPA added special conditions to each of Sydney Water’s 23 sewage treatment system environment protection licences, requiring an independent assessment of Sydney Water’s overarching management and operational framework for responding to dry weather sewage overflows. Sydney Water is implementing recommendations to improve its clean-up response.
Penalty notices are one of a number of tools the EPA can use to achieve environmental compliance, including formal warnings, licence conditions, notices and directions, mandatory audits, legally binding pollution reduction programs, enforceable undertakings and prosecutions.
For more information about the EPA’s regulatory tools, see the EPA Compliance Policy http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/legislation/prosguid.htm.
Sydney Water fined over Menai sewage overflow
THE NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has fined Sydney Water $15,000 following a sewage overflow at Menai on October 21, 2019 which affected two unnamed creeks.