kanamaluka/River Tamar to be cleaner as crossed connections eliminated

Launched in 2021, the Sewage Intrusion Program was aimed at finding and fixing crossovers between the city's sewerage and stormwater lines.

READ MORE: Launceston's homeless encampment is growing, here's why

As of 2023, the program has identified and rectified more than 40 of these intrusion sites under the River Health Action Plan - a joint effort between stakeholders including City of Launceston council and NRM North.

The crossed connections were due to a variety of factors, from blocked or broken pipes to sewer lines being connected to stormwater mains.

Regardless of the cause the result was the same, with raw sewage ending up in the kanamaluka/River Tamar via the stormwater network and urban waterways and posing a public health risk.

READ MORE: Second Tamar bridge would solve traffic problems

A total of 41 water monitoring stations were installed across 13 stormwater catchments in the greater Launceston area to locate these intrusion points through a variety of methods.

These ranged from simple dye tests, where coloured dye is used to trace the path of water through the system, to the use of remote controlled CCTV robots to locate blockages.

According to NRM North, 44 intrusion sites around the greater Launceston area were then identified, and property owners have been given help to rectify the problems.

READ MORE: What's become of Launceston's decommissioned petrol stations?

In the case of incorrectly-connected pipes this required excavation and re-connection to the sewer system.

Areas served by the older combined stormwater and sewerage system, where all water is sent to wastewater plants regardless of its origin, were left untouched.

NRM North says 13.2 megalitres of raw sewage - the same as 5.3 Olympic-sized swimming pools - will be prevented from entering the kanamaluka/River Tamar annually.

Ongoing sampling and monitoring of the waterways has shown this is set to reduce the average concentration of enterococci bacteria, commonly found in sewage, by 6.2 per cent - more than the targeted 4.3 per cent reduction.

READ MORE: Who killed Victoria Cafasso? What we know so far

Launceston mayor Matthew Garwood said the program had its foundations in earlier efforts to restore the Kings Meadows Rivulet, which the council heralded as a success story in June.

"The program's origins stemmed from work the council had undertaken at the Kings Meadows Rivulet using the same technology and methodology," Cr Garwood said.

"These proved to be highly effective at identifying intrusions in that area.

"Identifying and rectifying these intrusions has had an enormous positive impact on the health of our waterways, which was particularly beneficial for our recreational users."

The $500,000 program was funded by the council, the state government and the federal government through the Launceston City Deal.

Why not have your say? Write a letter to the editor here:

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: