The majority of areas within the Town of Kwinana urban area are connected to the sewer, however the rural area requires on-site effluent disposal systems to be installed.
Generally these systems comprise of two septic tanks and two leach drains or four soakwells. However, the type of effluent disposal system required will depend on the size of your house, soil type on the property, depth to the water table and the environmental sensitivity of the area.
In some areas, aerobic treatment units and nutrient retentive systems are necessary to ensure that phosphorous does not impact on natural water bodies. A range of systems are available, the document Septic Systems in the Peel-Harvey Catchment Area in the Town of Kwinana (3895) details the majority of suppliers and important information relating to those systems. Please click on the link to view the document
Before an effluent disposal system on your property you need to complete an “Application to Construct or Install an Apparatus for the Treatment of Sewage”. This form with 2 sets of detailed plans (1:100 or 1:200 scale only) of the proposed system must be forwarded to the Town's Environmental Health Services Section along with the appropriate fee.
IImportant things to consider when considering where a septic tank system is to be located are:
Septic tanks and leach drains must be a minimum of 1.2m away from trafficable areas
Septic tanks must be a minimum of 1.2m from any structure
Leach drains must be a minimum of 1.8m from any structure and 1.2m from trafficable areas
The bottom of a leach drain must be a minimum of 1.2 m above the highest known ground water level
Leach drains must be at least 30m away from any water course or bores used for potable water and at least 15m away from all other water courses or bores.
DECOMMISSIONING OF SEPTIC TANKS For further information on the Decommissioning of septic tanks please click on the link below: Decommissioning of septic tanks handout
