Oil clean-up at Port Macquarie treatment plant to cost thousands

The oil was found by staff at Port Macquarie Wastewater Treatment plant on Tuesday, November 21, with investigations continuing to find who is responsible for the illegal dumping.

Utilities Planning and Design manager at the council, Cameron Hawkins, said staff have spent about ten days cleaning up the mess, costing more than $2000 per day.

"There will (also) be the disposal costs. We've collected all the oil pollutant and have it stored on site," he said.

"We'll have to dispose of that probably down Newcastle way at Rutherford and that will be in the tens of thousands to dispose of it."

Mr Hawkins added the council will need to hire a contractor to transport the waste, all at an extra cost to ratepayers.

While the treatment plant does experience occasional contamination, Mr Hawkins said nothing of this quantity.

"Our laboratory sent stuff down to Sydney and they've had it come back," he said. "It is essentially motor oil.

"From talking to the operators who have been here for quite some time it is the first time they have had this amount come through."

While the council are the local environment regulator, the NSW EPA have also been onsite to assist with enquiries. NSW Police can also assist when required but are not the lead agency in alleged environmental crimes.

In a statement last week the council said penalties of up to $4000 for individuals or $8000 for companies can be issued under the Environment Operations Act.

A few months ago Nambucca Valley Council suspected similar dumping at a wastewater plant in Macksville, however after further investigation found that was unlikely.

Mr Hawkins said the council has security cameras at the treatment plant and will look to potentially upgrade its systems.

"You have legitimate tankers who are doing the right thing so I'm trying to narrow it down to ones who are doing the wrong thing," he said.

"Nine times out of ten people doing the wrong thing don't go to a public place where they're supposed to be discharging other things.

"We're trying to narrow down the specific location in the network where its been discharged and currently its proven to be elusive."

The dumping also caused the shut down of the recycled water plant, which produces two mega litres of water a day to construction sites, commercial businesses and sporting fields. The council have topped the supply up with drinking water.

Mr Hawkins said staff were able to isolate the pollution to the treatment plant before it reached nearby Kooloonbung Creek.

While not commenting on the illegal dumping, a spokesperson for interest group Friends of Kooloonbung said they "condemn all acts of environmental vandalism and are concerned about any actions that may ultimately affect the water quality in Kooloonbung Creek."

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