Community asked to help warn kids and parents of dangers

27 November 2019

Wastewater treatment plants are not playgrounds

Council is asking for the community’s help to get the message out about the dangers of children playing on wastewater treatment plant properties.

The appeal follows a number of incidents at both the Murwillumbah and Banora Point plants where young people trespassing have fled on being approached by Council staff.

Council has now written to all residents living near both plants, asking them to help by talking to both the parents and the young people trespassing on to these extremely dangerous workplaces about the risks they face.

“Wastewater is human waste and contains diseases and viruses,” Manager Water and Wastewater Anthony Burnham said. “It is one of the most hazardous places to be with open tanks, submerged machinery, numerous trip hazards and the very high likelihood that every surface carries residual human waste.

“If a child or teenager falls into one of these open tanks they are likely to drown as some of the tanks are aerated and full of solid materials which make it extremely difficult to keep yourself afloat.

“They’ll also expose themselves to the risk of serious injury from submerged machinery, which will start and stop without notice, and serious infection and disease from open cuts and wounds,” he said.

Council staff working in these environments are given a series of infection control injections to protect them from the risk of contracting disease or a viral infection.

“The large black bags on site are not trampolines but contain a by-product of wastewater called biosolids, which is basically treated human waste sludge,” Mr Burnham said.

The plants all have chainmesh security fences and Council is installing an automatic security gate at the front entrance to the Murwillumbah plant to improve security.

Anyone wanting to visit a wastewater treatment plant to learn about how they operate can do so at an open day, normally held during Local Government Week around August every year. Schools that wish to go on a guided tour can contact Council at any time on (02) 6670 2400 to arrange a visit.

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Caption: Biomass bags containing biosolids at a wastewater treatment plant