A Moolap company had been fined for an unlawful waste deposit after wastewater entered a roadside drain near a primary school.
Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria Southwest regional manager Carolyn Francis said officers inspected B-and-R Poultry Services on March 17 and later fined the company $5,548.
“Our team found wastewater from a poultry crate washing facility entering an open roadside drain after travelling through a stormwater drain, directly opposite Moolap Primary School,” she said.
“They took samples of the discharging wastewater for analysis and found high levels of Escherichia coli (E. coli).
“E. coli is a bacteria that indicates the presence of animal droppings and can cause a risk to public health.”
Ms Fracis said the business had failed to maintain good practices after receiving a remedial notice requiring them to fix a similar issue last year.
“All businesses should take cases like this as a reminder to make sure their own premises cause leaks or spills,” she said.
“Leaks and spills entering waterways via stormwater drains is an all-too-common problem, and EPA conducted snap inspections of a number of businesses in the Moolap area less than two weeks ago.
“The General Environmental Duty built into the Environment Protection Act makes it every Victorian’s responsibility to take reasonable actions prevent pollution.”
The poultry company has since implemented some temporary fixes while a longer-term solution is put in place, and the EPA will continue to monitor its compliance.
People can report pollution by calling EPA’s 24-hour hotline at 1300 372 842 or online at www.epa.vic.gov.au/report-pollution/reporting-pollution.
