Council to pay $75k for releasing raw sewage into river over nine days
A council in Central West NSW accepts responsibility for discharging untreated sewage effluent into a river that supplies drinking water.
The Oberon Council will pay $75,000 for releasing untreated sewage into the Fish River over a nine-day period in September 2025. The local government claims the incident did not impact the area's drinking water. The council must undertake tree removal and plant native species to enhance the river's health. The mayor acknowledged the incident as an unacceptable event caused by a pump fault.
The Central Acclimatisation Society's Wayne Cole criticized the EPA's penalty as a slap on the wrist, highlighting the community's perception of rivers as drains. The Fish River serves 230 properties and flows into the Macquarie River, a popular recreational spot. The EPA's operations director emphasized the unacceptable nature of untreated sewage discharge and the need for councils to maintain infrastructure promptly.
The council will also spend $15,000 on the EPA's investigation costs. Despite the council's plans, some residents remain unaware of the incident, even though a similar event occurred last year. The council is constructing a new $18.6 million sewage treatment plant to replace the outdated facility.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
