Robertson Sewerage Scheme connection reminder
On the first anniversary of the opening of the Robertson Sewerage Scheme, Wingecarribee Shire Council is urging residents not yet connected to do so as soon as possible.
“Residents were initially encouraged to connect to the scheme by the 30 June this year,” said Council’s Acting Deputy General Manager of Operations, Finance and Corporate, Barry Paull.
“However one year after connections became available we’ve had just under half of all properties connect to the scheme.”
The first residents to take advantage of connections did so in July of last year with the official opening of the scheme taking place later in the year in September.
“Now that just over twelve months has passed, we remind residents still not connected of the benefits that come with connecting to this state-of-the-art scheme,” Mr Paull said.
“Apart from the obvious saving of money for those still connected to the old pump-out scheme, all residents will be able to enjoy a cleaner environment and healthier waterways.”
“Property owners should also be aware that they are being charged an availability fee for the sewer scheme whether they are connected to the scheme or not.”
“Another reason residents should connect as soon as possible is that the contractor responsible for the construction of the project will soon be handing over the project,” Mr Paull explained.
Principal contractor AJ Lucas first began construction on the $33.6 million scheme in mid-2011. Terms of the agreement will see them transfer full ownership of the scheme, including the reticulation system and sewage treatment plant later this year.
“When this takes effect, should there be any issues arising when connecting, residents may be fully responsible for any additional costs,” Mr Paull said. “If any unforeseen connection issues arise, AJ Lucas will only be available for the next few months to undertake repairs.”
Commissioned in 2013, the Robertson Sewerage Scheme includes 25 kilometres of sewerage reticulation around Robertson, a pumping station, effluent transfer main, irrigation dam and fully enclosed sewage treatment plant, providing a modern service for almost 700 initial properties.
The hybrid sewage scheme features a mix of traditional gravity sewered areas and low-pressure pumping units servicing properties on the outskirts of the village.
A connection point for residents has been provided within each property. Owners not yet connected need to engage a licensed Plumber to carry out the connection to the Council sewerage main.