Waste Water Treatment Plants - environmental licensing
2327. Hon Alison Xamon to the Minister for Environment
I refer to Waste Water Treatment Plants in Western Australia, and ask —
(1) How many waste water treatment plants (WWTP) are currently operated by the Water Corporation and licensed by Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) in Western Australia?
(2) Is each WWTP currently compliant with the conditions of its Environmental Protection Act (1986) sewage facility and liquid waste facility licenses?
(3) If no to (2), what are the matters subject to the breach of license, and what remedial action is required to bring about compliance?
(4) Has each WWTP ever breached conditions of its Environmental Protection Act (1986) sewage treatment facility license or liquid waste facility license?
(5) If yes to (4), what are the matters subject to the breach of license, and what remedial action was required to bring about compliance?
(6) Has the DEC ever permitted a WWTP to continue operating despite failing to comply with its existing license?
(7) If yes to (6), please specify which WWTP’s, the date of breach of license, and the date when the WWTP was modified and found to again comply with license conditions?
(8) Have conditions of a WWTP license been modified to assist a WWTP to achieve compliance?
(9) If yes to (8), please specify which WWTP’s and the original and modified license conditions?
Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied:
(1) There are 81 wastewater treatment plants in Western Australiawhich are currently licensed.
(2) In 2008 the then Minister for the Environment announced that from 28 April 2008, all licensees would be required to report annually on their compliance with their licence conditions through an Annual Audit Compliance Report (AACR). This requirement has been included in all new licences, and progressively for existing licences as they expire. Most licences now include the AACR requirement. In the AACR, the licensee is required to report on any non-compliance in the preceding 12 months.
DEC assesses the AACRs. Any non-compliance reported in the AACR or identified by a compliance inspection or through discharge incidents or complaints, is investigated as a matter of course, to determine whether any enforcement action is required in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act 1986 and its Enforcement and Prosecution Policy 2008.
DEC also undertakes an initial risk assessment of all prescribed premises. Based on this assessment, an annual inspection and compliance plan is developed and implemented. Wastewater treatment plants are inspected periodically, based on their level of risk.
It should be noted that, in some circumstances, there may be technical breaches of licence conditions, such as timelines for reporting, however, such breaches do not represent a risk to the environment.
(3)-(9) See the answer to (2).