council-requirements
Council Requirements
The bioSystems 2000 Aerobic Treatment Units (ATUs) need to be installed and operated in accordance with the Heath (Treatment of Sewage and Disposal of Effluent and Liquid Waste) Regulations 1974 and the Code of Practice for the Design, Manufacture, Installation, and Operation of Aerobic Treatment Units (ATUs) Serving Single Dwellings.
bioSystems 2000 ATUs have been approved for sub-surface, sub-strata, and above-ground spray irrigation throughout Western Australia.
To ensure your ATU performs satisfactorily the following Council Requirements need to be considered:
Quarterly Maintenance
It is a legal requirement that you have your ATU maintained on a quarterly basis by an “authorized” service contractor. The reason for this is to ensure that your ATU’s effluent quality and disinfection levels are maintained, thus eliminating any health risks when the effluent is irrigated out. The quarterly maintenance schedule for your ATU has been designed to ensure that it operates correctly. Any interference with the units’ adjustment, apart from being illegal, may cause the unit to malfunction resulting in increased maintenance costs for you, the owner.
Specifically Dedicated Effluent Irrigation Area
It is a Health Department of WA requirement that the effluent from your ATU be irrigated onto one or more clearly defined, specifically dedicated and landscaped areas having a total surface area of at least 150m2 (less in sandy soils).
Your irrigation area must also be maintained in accordance with the original approval given by your Local Council unless permission is otherwise given. Alteration can only be done by contacting your Council’s Environmental Health Officers who will amend your original approval to reflect any changes you wish to make.
Planting of Irrigation Area
Your ATU’s irrigation area is designed to operate as an evaporation/transpiration area. This means that in addition to downward infiltration, the area relies on evaporation via the sun and wind, and transpiration via the roots and leaves of plants. For these reasons it is a Council requirement that your ATU’s irrigation area is planted out within 30 days of commissioning of your ATU.
There are a large number of trees and plants are suitable for this purpose and citrus fruit trees are included in this group.
Sale Of Your Property
There is an obligation on you, the property owner, to inform prospective purchasers of your property that it is equipped with an ATU that must be maintained on a quarterly basis by an authorized contractor, and that your Local Council is the controlling body for these units.
