On-site Sewage Management Systems
The term on-site sewage management system refers to any system that processes wastewater and disposes of the effluent within the premises. The main types of on-site sewage management systems in The Hills Shire are septic tanks and aerated wastewater treatment systems.
1. Septic Tanks
A septic tank is a waterproof tank usually located below ground level and provides treatment of sewage by allowing solids to settle to the bottom of the tank and oils and fats to float to the top to form a scum layer. Anaerobic (in the absence of air) bacterial digestion of the stored solids produces a sludge which accumulates at the bottom of the tank. The partly treated effluent flows from the septic tank to either a holding tank for regular pump out or directly to a soil absorption system.
2. Aerated Wastewater Treatment Systems
Aerated wastewater treatment systems (AWTS) use aeration of wastewater as an integral part of the treatment process. A typical AWTS treats wastewater through the following process:
- Settling of solids and flotation of scum in an anaerobic primary chamber (septic tank);
- Oxidation and consumption of organic matter through aerobic biological processes;
- Clarification - secondary settling of solids;
- Disinfection using chlorine or other approved means if surface land application of treated wastewater is to occur; and
- Regular removal of sludge to maintain the process.
A list of accredited systems are located on the NSW Health website.
Council will also consider alternative sewage treatment systems providing they are accredited by NSW Health or meet the required standards.
Approvals
Approval to install
If you wish to install a new on-site sewage management system on your property you are required to gain approval from the Council. You must submit an application to install an on-site sewage management system together with all the required information along with the application fee. The policy below also relates to the installation of on-site sewage management systems in flood plains.
Please note: Application fees are variable depending on the size of the system to be installed. Please see Council’s Fees and Charges document for the current fee structure (Part 5 of Council's Hills Shire Plan).
2017 - 2020 - Local Approvals Policy(PDF, 841KB)
Approval to Install or Amend a System of Sewage Management Application Form(PDF, 606KB)
Approval to Operate
The State Government on the 6th March 1998 Gazetted the Local Government (Approvals) Amendment (Sewage Management) Regulation, under the Local Government Act, 1993.
This amendment requires that an Approval to operate an on-site sewage management system be obtained for all sewage management systems.
This means that Council must issue an approval to operate for every existing on-site sewage management system in the shire.
Currently there are around 3500 on-site sewage management systems on Council's register however there are a large number of properties that have not submitted an application for approval to operate an on-site sewage management system, irrespective of when the system was installed.
If you have an on-site sewage management system and have not submitted an application for approval to operate you are required to fill out the Approval to Operate System Sewage Management application form below and send it to Council.
New Owners - If you have recently bought a property that uses an On-site Sewage Management System, the Local Government (Gen) Regulation 2005 provides a period of three (3) months in which to make an Application for an Approval to Operate.
2017 - 2020 - Local Approvals Policy(PDF, 841KB)
Approval to Operate System of Sewage Management Application Form(PDF, 594KB)
For further information email council-publichealth@thehills.nsw.gov.au or contact Council's Health and Environment Protection Division on +61 2 9843 0555.