The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) supports council action to manage overflows stormwater overflows that have been an ongoing concern for Bonny Hills residents.
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A manhole in Rodley Street overflowed during a significant wet weather event from February 20 to 22 this year, pouring stormwater and wastewater into local waterways.
"Port Macquarie Hastings-Council notified the EPA of an overflow from a manhole in Rodley Street," the spokesperson said.
"Following the overflow, council cleaned and disinfected the site as required by its environment protection licence. Council has informed the EPA it will undertake investigations in this area to improve the wastewater system.
"Many overflows are a result of stormwater getting into the wastewater system. All systems are designed to cater for some stormwater, but in prolonged or intense rainfall events a large amount of stormwater can lead to the system being overloaded and overflowing.
"Council took appropriate actions to manage this overflow and the EPA supports council's approach to minimise any future overflows."
A report will go before the May council meeting after Bonny Hills Progress Association raised concerns about sewage issues in the area.
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Bonny Hills Progress Association member and local resident Ross Smith said he is concerned that the manhole discharges sewer during and after heavy rain and not enough is being done to prevent it.
"It floods in every heavy weather event we have had. But it goes way, way back across the years," he said.
"This has been discussed in 2018 when Rainbow Beach was closed and again earlier this year after a community meeting on January 27. We have been writing to council and the EPA about this for many years.
"This requires an ongoing solution and there has been no action since the January meeting of council. We have been told their are higher priorities in Port Macquarie and Laurieton but we have been affected by this for many years."
Secretary John Drinan said sewer discharge from the manhole will continue to occur until the underlying problems are solved.
"There is an ongoing emergency situation affecting health and safety at Rainbow Beach, namely the discharge of raw sewage from manholes behind Rodley Street into Saltwater Creek," Mr Drinan said in a letter to council on April 9.
"This is still regularly occurring despite the many ineffective so-called fixes by council. BHPA members and many local residents, especially at Rodley Street, have witnessed and photographed these uncontained sewerage releases surging up out of manholes then directly into the creek.
"Since last January's disaster, we have seen more occurrences."
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council director of infrastructure, Dan Bylsma said that council is committed to solving the underlying issue with the region's sewer networks.
"The network has some shortcomings and are working to rectify sewer surcharge issues across the Local Government Area, with priority given to catchments that are experiencing surcharging inside properties," Mr Bylsma.
"There has been a number of remediation works at the manhole and sewer pump station behind Rodley Street, yet we continue to see discharges.
"We are working to address problems with stormwater inflow and infiltration, but this isn't a quick fix and will take time to investigate and remediate issues across the network.
"We have plans within the next ten years to assess the entire sewer network, starting with developing a hot spot map to identify recurring issues and prioritise works. There is also a report being presented at the May Council meeting, where we will outline our next steps for the entire network."
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