Sewerage

Overview

The Shire of Lake Grace is responsible for the deep sewerage system in the town of Lake Grace only. The deep sewerage in Newdegate falls under Water Corporation's jurisdiction, and Lake King and Varley operate off septic systems. This service is delivered under the Water Services Act 2012 (the Act) and is funded by Specified Area Rates levied against landowners who own land within the Lake Grace town that have the capability to connect to the wastewater system.

Any new dwellings or businesses in the Lake Grace town must be connected to the wastewater scheme (if within close proximity of a main), as required by the Lake Grace Local Planning Scheme section 4.30. As Constructed drawings of the wastewater system can be requested from the Shire free of charge to help assist in locating underground infrastructure for maintenance or new developments.

Dwellings and businesses not serviced by a wastewater scheme must install some type of wastewater treatment system, such as a septic and leach drain system.

Sewerage Network

Extent of Responsibility

Any infrastructure lying within public land--such as verges, parks and sports precincts, laneways and roads, and Shire-owned land, is the responsibility of the Shire to maintain. This may infrequently require roadworks in cases where a mains crossing the road is causing issues.

The wastewater infrastructure includes:

  • Gravity mains made up of PVC or vitrified clay pipes.
  • Pressure poly pipes.
  • Concrete access chambers with manhole covers made of concrete or iron.
  • 4 x wet wells containing submersible pumps and a control panel and covered with chequered plates.
  • Above-ground Imhoff tank.
  • Sludge-drying bed.
  • 2 x clay-lined treatment ponds.
  • 2 x chlorine dosing unit.
  • Steel water tank for holding treated wastewater.

If you notice an issue with the wastewater system in the Lake Grace townsite, please report it to the Shire at (08) 9890 2500 as soon as possible so we can restore service in a timely manner.

For property connections to the wastewater scheme, the Shire's responsibility ends at the junction near your property's boundary, buried below ground. Any issues past this point is the responsibility of the home or business owner.

There are a few private properties where a manhole and access chamber lies within its backyard. Under the Act the Shire has powers of entry without notice to carry out maintenance works as long as it does not cause a disruption to the occupiers of that property. This power of entry only extends to the external areas of a property and not the dwelling or business itself. In cases where excavation works are required to replace underground mains within your backyard, the Shire will seek consent of the occupier to carry out works. If consent is not or cannot be given, the Shire will give a 48 hours' notice of proposed entry before carrying out works.

Reuse Scheme

There is a wastewater reuse scheme in use to help with the irrigation of the Lake Grace football and hockey ovals. It is mostly used during winter months where the treatment ponds are at a high water level. Wastewater is dosed with chlorine during transfer to the steel water tank at the southern edge of the football oval, and dosed again just before it enters the tank to ensure optimal chlorine levels for contact time. Reuse water is used for irrigation throughout the night to allow for enough time for evaporation and safe contact the following morning.

Wastewater Services Charter

The Shire of Lake Grace is responsible for the provision of sewerage services to the Lake Grace townsite in accordance with the License issued to the Shire by the Economic Regulation Authority under the Water Services Act 2012. In Newdegate, the sewerage scheme is run by Water Corporation so please direct any questions to them if you live in that townsite.

The intent of the Charter is to inform customers/ratepayers serviced by the Lake Grace Sewerage Scheme of their rights and includes:

  • Services provided
  • Maintenance requirements
  • Interruptions to the service
  • Levels of service
  • Additional financial assistance
  • Connections
  • Charges
  • Complaints procedure

A Shire's Customer Services Charter is governed by the Water Services Code of Conduct (Customer Service Standards) 2018. The Charter itself is available for reading at the following links:

Link: Wastewater Services Charter

Link: Wastewater Services Charter (Large-print version)

Complaints and Feedback

If you believe that the wastewater services delivered by the Shire or conduct by Shire staff while dealing with a wastewater issue is not acceptable, you may submit a Complaints and Feedback form via the link below. This form can also be used to dispute any errors in the wastewater portion of your rates. Once filled out you may deliver the form to the Shire by hand, by email or through the post.

Link: Complaints Brochure

Financial Hardship Policy

Within the Wastewater Services Charter is the adoption of a Financial Hardship Policy. If you find that you are struggling to pay off the wastewater portion of your rates, you may apply to the Shire to be placed under an alternate payment arrangement, or to have your outstanding payments reduced. This process will also halt any debt collection that may occur while assessment and alternate arrangements are in place.

Financial hardship in this case means that the payment of the wastewater portion of your rates would adversely affect your basic living needs.

Link: Financial Hardship Policy

Link: Financial Hardship Policy (Large-print version)

Additional details can be found in the Payment of Rates & Invoices page.

Septic Systems

Applications

When planning to construct a dwelling or other building that will have kitchen, shower or toilet facilities outside of the towns of Lake Grace and Newdegate, you will be required to install a wastewater treatment system, such as a septic and leach drain system. It is up to the landowner or builder to estimate the wastewater generated and design a system capable of handling those flows.

Once all that's done, inclusive of plans drafted, you will then need to submit an Application to Construct or Install an Apparatus for the Treatment of Sewage form. Who you submit this to depends on the following:

  • If your wastewater treatment system is either servicing only one dwelling on the lot with 8 tenants or less or treating less than 540 L of wastewater per day (to whatever building/s it's attached to), then the form is to be submitted to the Shire of Lake Grace.
  • If your wastewater treatment system cannot satisfy either of the two requirements above, then the form is to be submitted to the Department of Health.

A fee is payable for this application before it can be processed. After that, our environmental health officer may carry out a site visit to confirm a few details before approving or rejecting the application. Once approved you may proceed with the installation of your proposed wastewater treatment system.

Once you have constructed the system you will need to leave the ground open so our environmental health officer can visually inspect the finished system without any earthworks. If everything matches the plans, you will be required to pay another fee for the Permit to Use the new system installed.

Link: Application to Construct or Install an Apparatus for the Treatment of Sewage

Fees & Charges

Fees regarding wastewater treatment systems are set by legislation, except the Local Government Report Fee.

Septic Tank Fee
Local Government Application Fee (application to Shire of Lake Grace) $118.00
Local Government Report Fee (application to Department of Health) $120.10
Permit to Use $118.00

Please note that if you are making an application to the Department of Health, you will also need to pay $102.00 directly to them on top of the Local Government Report fee paid to us.