Latest news with #WaterCorporation
Perth Now
6 days ago
- Politics
- Perth Now
Stinky Perth sewage spills prompt calls for better drainage
Recent sewage spills in Spearwood, Beaconsfield and Caversham have raised alarm bells on the state of pipes in inner-city Perth. Burst pipes caused wastewater to encroach on parks, residential homes and into the Swan River. The State Government is responsible for upgrading sewerage, water and main drainage assets. City of Vincent mayor Alison Xamon wants it to work with inner-city local governments on addressing ageing pipes. Water Corporation, plumbers and earthmovers were at Westonia Park in Spearwood after sewerage flooded the park. Credit: Kelsey Reid / The West Australian 'We need to ensure essential infrastructure is able to accommodate increased density. 'It was concerning to see the significant health and amenity impacts that these spills had on residents and the Swan River and I am sure the State Government does not want to see a repeat. 'Together with other inner-city councils, we want to work with the State Government to create a forum to co-ordinate key State infrastructure delivery such as water, drainage and sewerage infrastructure works. 'Local government needs to understand the State Government's plan when it comes to infrastructure so we can better prepare for the servicing of our community needs and infrastructure.' There are 8000 drains and 122km of underground pipes in the City of Vincent. Some are more than 120 years old. Ms Xamon said while Vincent had continued to maintain its existing infrastructure, it needed to be upgraded to meet housing and population targets. City of Vincent mayor Alison Xamon. Credit: Iain Gillespie / The West Australian 'The State Government has set an infill target for Vincent of 11,500 dwellings by 2050, in addition to a population growth of an additional 25,000 people,' she said. 'We also continue to approve housing applications and the State-appointed Metro Inner Development Assessment Panel is giving the green light to medium to high-density developments. 'Unfortunately, the current state of pipes and drains does not support the predicted increase in homes and residents across our suburbs. 'The impact of climate change places further pressure on infrastructure to withstand major unprecedented events like we have experienced in recent years. 'So I encourage the State Government to look at redirecting funds earned by agencies such as the Water Corporation into upgrading critical infrastructure to ensure communities are prepared and resilient for years to come.' Water Minister Don Punch said due to significant challenges posed by climate change and rapid population growth, the State Government was ensuring it had 'strong investment' in existing water and wastewater infrastructures, with the addition of $35m in last month's State Budget. A massive sewerage spill affected a number of suburbs in Perth's south. Credit: AAP 'This is in addition to nearly $80m extra over two years allocated under the 2023-24 State Budget for network renewals,' he said. 'This funding supports a rolling program of work to replace or renew ageing water and wastewater infrastructure across Perth, with $39.5m to be spent relining wastewater pipes and $40.4m to replace ageing water mains.' A Water Corporation spokesperson said while isolated issues can occur, it invested significantly in both maintenance and renewal. 'We have an ongoing inspection program that helps us monitor the condition of our network and prioritise work,' the spokesperson said. 'From 2014 to 2024, Water Corporation invested more than $270 million renewing ageing wastewater infrastructure across Perth. 'This year alone, we expect to spend around $100 million on water and wastewater renewals in the metropolitan area — one of our largest ever annual investments. 'Although some sections of our network are older, it is the condition of a pipe, not its age, that best indicates its performance. 'Older pipes can remain in service for decades with appropriate inspection and maintenance, while newer pipes may be susceptible to early failure under certain environmental conditions.' The spokesperson said the Water Corporation worked closely with local governments during the planning and delivery of projects and would continue to collaborate with them to deliver critical infrastructure upgrades and renewals.
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Human waste spills into major river a SECOND time in a month as residents are issued urgent warning
Perth locals are being waned to shut their windows and stay out of the Swan River after human waste spilled from a burst water main for the second time in a month. Water Corporation crews were repairing a burst wastewater main in the Upper Swan region east of Perth. After encountering a technical issue, the water began to backup which caused it to overflow into the river last week. A public health alert has advised locals to avoid water activities in the Upper Swan between Bassendean and Viveash. Locals are also being urged to avoid outdoor exercise in areas which are affected by the smell of sewage. 'Stay away from all affected water in the area,' the public health alert read. 'Temporary odour may be experienced in the vicinity of the affected area. 'To minimise odours, please keep windows closed and consider using fans or air purifiers if needed.' It comes after a massive sewage leak left several suburbs smelling 'like a toilet' when human waste entered the major river system in June. The spill occurred after a sewer main burst on Hamilton Road in Spearwood, south Perth. The leak made its way into the Swan River, spreading the stench to Beaconsfield, Alfred Cove, Applecross and South Fremantle. Spearwood Park was left inundated by the putrid sludge while the Fremantle commercial and recreational fishing harbour was also affected. Photos shared to social media showed suburban streets covered in inches of waste water as council workers cornered off the areas. Another picture showed the deluge of human waste had overflowed and spilled into Spearwood Park, covering the field in a massive puddle of sewage. Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti said a second spill was 'clearly unacceptable' and that the government would work with Water Corporation to prevent future incidents. 'This is not something that we want to see, or is acceptable,' Ms Saffioti said. 'We will continue to work with that agency to see what else we can do in relation to making sure we prevent these types of spillages.' Opposition water spokesman Peter Rundall has called for an audit on the state's wastewater infrastructure. Mr Rundall labelled the spill as a 'serious public health and environmental threat', claiming locals deserved better. 'Families and communities have been exposed to human waste, and the public is being told to stay away from one of Perth's most iconic natural assets,' Mr Rundall said. 'This should be a wake-up call – the community deserves transparency on how water infrastructure is being funded and where it's falling short.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Human waste flows into major city's river
Perth residents have been warned to shut their windows and stay out of the Swan River after human waste spilt into the waterway for a second time in just weeks. Water Corporation crews were repairing a burst wastewater main when they ran into technical issues, causing wastewater to backup and overflow into the river last week. Residents were told to avoid all water activities in the Upper Swan between Bassendean and Viveash, in Perth's east, until further notice and avoid outdoor exercise in areas that stank. 'Stay away from all affected water in the area,' a public health alert read. 'Temporary odour may be experienced in the vicinity of the affected area. To minimise odours, please keep windows closed and consider using fans or air purifiers if needed.' It is the second incident in the past month where pools of human waste have spilt into the Swan River from burst wastewater pipes. Raw sewage flowed across soccer pitches in Beaconsfield in June and ran all the way into Fremantle's Fishing Boat Harbour. The City of Fremantle found human waste at the stormwater drain at the southern end of the harbour and closed the groyne. Beaconsfield residents told Nine it smelled like a toilet. Opposition water spokesman Peter Rundall called for an audit of Western Australia's wastewater infrastructure to prevent further environmental disasters. Mr Rundall said while the state government boasted about multi-billion dollar surpluses, essential sewage services were falling apart. 'This isn't just an infrastructure failure – it's a serious public health and environmental threat,' he said. 'Families and communities have been exposed to human waste, and the public is being told to stay away from one of Perth's most iconic natural assets. 'This should be a wake-up call – the community deserves transparency on how water infrastructure is being funded and where it's falling short. 'Western Australians deserve better than this.' Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti told media a second spill was clearly unacceptable and the government would work with Water Corporation to find out what could be done to prevent these incidents from occurring. 'This is not something that we want to see, or is acceptable, so we will continue to work with that agency to see what else we can do in relation to making sure we prevent these types of spillages,' she said.
News.com.au
07-07-2025
- Climate
- News.com.au
‘Environmental disaster:' Residents told to shut windows as more human waste flows into Perth's Swan River
Perth residents have been warned to shut their windows and stay out of the Swan River after human waste spilt into the waterway for a second time in just weeks. Water Corporation crews were repairing a burst wastewater main when they ran into technical issues, causing wastewater to backup and overflow into the river last week. Residents were told to avoid all water activities in the Upper Swan between Bassendean and Viveash, in Perth's east, until further notice and avoid outdoor exercise in areas that stank. 'Stay away from all affected water in the area,' a public health alert read. 'Temporary odour may be experienced in the vicinity of the affected area. To minimise odours, please keep windows closed and consider using fans or air purifiers if needed.' It is the second incident in the past month where pools of human waste have spilt into the Swan River from burst wastewater pipes. Raw sewage flowed across soccer pitches in Beaconsfield in June and ran all the way into Fremantle's Fishing Boat Harbour. The City of Fremantle found human waste at the stormwater drain at the southern end of the harbour and closed the groyne. Beaconsfield residents told Nine it smelled like a toilet. Opposition water spokesman Peter Rundall called for an audit of Western Australia's wastewater infrastructure to prevent further environmental disasters. Mr Rundall said while the state government boasted about multi-billion dollar surpluses, essential sewage services were falling apart. 'This isn't just an infrastructure failure – it's a serious public health and environmental threat,' he said. 'Families and communities have been exposed to human waste, and the public is being told to stay away from one of Perth's most iconic natural assets. 'This should be a wake-up call – the community deserves transparency on how water infrastructure is being funded and where it's falling short. 'Western Australians deserve better than this.' Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti told media a second spill was clearly unacceptable and the government would work with Water Corporation to find out what could be done to prevent these incidents from occurring. 'This is not something that we want to see, or is acceptable, so we will continue to work with that agency to see what else we can do in relation to making sure we prevent these types of spillages,' she said.
Perth Now
07-07-2025
- Climate
- Perth Now
Human waste flows into major city's river
Perth residents have been warned to shut their windows and stay out of the Swan River after human waste spilt into the waterway for a second time in just weeks. Water Corporation crews were repairing a burst wastewater main when they ran into technical issues, causing wastewater to backup and overflow into the river last week. Residents were told to avoid all water activities in the Upper Swan between Bassendean and Viveash, in Perth's east, until further notice and avoid outdoor exercise in areas that stank. Residents in Perth's east have been warned to stay away from a section of the Upper Swan River after human waste spilt into the waterway from a burst wastewater main. Image: Water Corporation. Credit: Supplied 'Stay away from all affected water in the area,' a public health alert read. 'Temporary odour may be experienced in the vicinity of the affected area. To minimise odours, please keep windows closed and consider using fans or air purifiers if needed.' It is the second incident in the past month where pools of human waste have spilt into the Swan River from burst wastewater pipes. Raw sewage flowed across soccer pitches in Beaconsfield in June and ran all the way into Fremantle's Fishing Boat Harbour. The City of Fremantle found human waste at the stormwater drain at the southern end of the harbour and closed the groyne. Beaconsfield residents told Nine it smelled like a toilet. Human waste from burst wastewater pipes slid into Perth's Swan River and suburban areas in Beaconsfield and Spearwood last month. 9News Credit: Channel 9 Opposition water spokesman Peter Rundall called for an audit of Western Australia's wastewater infrastructure to prevent further environmental disasters. Mr Rundall said while the state government boasted about multi-billion dollar surpluses, essential sewage services were falling apart. 'This isn't just an infrastructure failure – it's a serious public health and environmental threat,' he said. 'Families and communities have been exposed to human waste, and the public is being told to stay away from one of Perth's most iconic natural assets. 'This should be a wake-up call – the community deserves transparency on how water infrastructure is being funded and where it's falling short. 'Western Australians deserve better than this.' Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti told media the spill was clearly unacceptable and will work with Water Corporation to find out what could be done to prevent these incidents from occurring. NewsWire /Philip Gostelow Credit: NCA NewsWire Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti told media a second spill was clearly unacceptable and the government would work with Water Corporation to find out what could be done to prevent these incidents from occurring. 'This is not something that we want to see, or is acceptable, so we will continue to work with that agency to see what else we can do in relation to making sure we prevent these types of spillages,' she said.
