East side sewage system could cost residents $7000 each – or more
The Murray Bridge council has an $18.2 million plan to solve a smelly problem on the city’s east side – but households would have to foot some of the bill.
East side residents may have to pay thousands of dollars to be connected to a new sewage system under a plan being considered by the Murray Bridge council.
At present, more than 800 properties at Murray Bridge East, Riverglades and Avoca Dell rely on domestic septic systems to dispose of waste from their toilets, sinks and drains.
But almost 40 per cent of those household septic systems are on the verge of failing, according to a 2021 survey; and worse, more than half of the at-risk properties do not have enough space to install the type of septic system required under today’s more stringent standards.
To paraphrase a report by consultants WGA: much of Murray Bridge’s east side will soon be up the creek.
What’s the solution?
At a meeting on Monday night, council staff presented a plan for an $18.2 million community wastewater management scheme (CWMS) which would collect waste from 527 east side properties.
Pipes would be installed in deep trenches under or alongside several roads in the area.
Pumps would transport waste either to a wastewater treatment pond somewhere on the east side, away from built-up areas; or over the 1879 road bridge and into a connection with Murray Bridge’s main sewage system, operated by SA Water.
The new CWMS would be designed to accommodate about 100 extra homes on the east side over the next 50 years, during which time it would cost another $21.1 million to operate.
Who would pay for the system to be built?
Residents would likely have to pay around $7000 per household, according to an early council estimate – and that’s if the council is able to win an LGA South Australia grant which would “significantly subsidise” the cost of the project.
Each resident would also have to pay for:
- Pipes connecting their property to the closest main
- An annual connection charge
It sounds like a lot – and it is – but that cost compares favourably to the cost of a household septic system, the council will suggest in a letter to residents.
Septic tanks need to be replaced every 15 to 30 years at a cost of up to $30,000, and also need de-sludging every few years at a cost of several hundred dollars.
Without any subsidy, a CWMS would make less sense – the cost would climb to almost $35,000 per property.
Affected residents will get a letter from the council later this month, outlining the process that has led to this point.
A public meeting will be held on a date yet to be determined, and residents will be surveyed about their opinion.
Tempers are likely to flare in response to the issue, judging by the support Riverglades resident Jerry Wilson had when he letterboxed locals around the time of the council’s septic tank inspection program in 2021.
He worried at the time that a sewer system would effectively lead to a rezoning of the east side by stealth – a claim the council firmly denied.
- More information: Visit www.murraybridge.sa.gov.au, call 8539 1100 or email council@murraybridge.sa.gov.au.
- Read more: East side resident fears sewer could lead to smaller blocks, social problems
Disclosure: The author is a resident of the affected area.
