Healesville residents Stan and Shirley Gray (front) thanked Yarra Valley staff and contractors for bringing sewerage to their neighbourhood last week. With the Grays were (from left) Yarra Valley Water project manager Sonia McIntyre and contractors Carmen Di Carlo, Charlie Di Carlo, Robert Di Carlo and Bob Bartley.By Dion Teasdale
SEPTIC tanks are set to become a thing of the past in Healesville with Yarra Valley Water rolling out construction of a new sewerage system for various parts of the town.
Last week contractors completed construction of the first stage of the project, which will see a gravity sewerage system made available to close to 700 properties in the next 20 years.
Yarra Valley Water began building the new, more environmentally friendly sewerage services in Healesville in January as part of a $580 million State Government initiative.
A priority in the initiative is a 20-year, $250 million plan to accelerate the replacement of about 18,500 septic tanks with a reticulated sewerage system in rural areas and outer suburbs.
The section of the project completed last week has made sewerage services available to 34 homes between the Maroondah Highway, Maroondah Parade, Camerons Road and McGregor East Avenue in Healesville.
Residents in the area will have to pay a $500 compulsory contribution fee, to be made in quarterly instalments over five years, and can engage a plumber to connect their home to the service.
McGregor East Avenue residents Stan and Shirley Gray, who have lived in Healesville for the past three years, said they were delighted to be among the first residents who will be connected to the new sewerage system.
“We think it’s marvellous that we can now connect to the sewerage system,” Mrs Gray said.
“It’s good for the environment and means we don’t have to bother with getting our septic tank cleaned out.”
Yarra Valley Water managing director Tony Kelly has encouraged residents in the area to connect to the sewerage service. “Poorly maintained septic tank systems leak potentially hazardous waste water into soil, drains, creeks and waterways,” he said.
Yarra Valley Water will be sending residents in the current project area a connection kit. Contact Sonia McIntyre on 9872 2615.
