THE Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has investigated discoloured water emanating from a drain in Mt Martha, which is believed to be linked to terracotta roof tiles being washed down at a nearby property.
EPA southern metropolitan regional manager Viranga Abeywickrema confirmed officers had investigated the murky orange discolouration in Balcombe Creek at the Harrap Road crossing. The orange discolouration extended about 50 metres downstream.
“It is likely to be from terracotta roof tiles being washed down, with the wash-water escaping into the stormwater system. We conducted a thorough drive around the nearby residential area but could not identify a likely source,” said Abeywickrema. “With a single incident from a residential property, it’s often hard to follow the contamination back to the source before the creek flow has taken away the evidence.”
Abeywickrema said it was important that contractors washing and restoring a tile roof capture their wash-waters to keep them out of stormwater drains. “By law, industrial wash-waters must be sent to the sewerage system by arrangement with the appropriate water authority,” he said. “Even if the wash-waters do not contain paint or other chemicals, contamination can kill fish, invertebrates and plant life in a creek by removing oxygen from the water, and the discolouration distracts from the community’s enjoyment of the waterway.”
To report pollution call the EPA’s 24-hour hotline on 1300 372 842 or epa.vic.gov.au/report-pollution/reporting-pollution
First published in the Mornington News – 5 November 2024
