The Importance of Sediment Management

Sediment runoff from building sites can cause a real risk to the environment and to the community. Once entering waterways, it can affect plant life, invertebrates and the fish that feed from them.

The management of sediment using barriers, filter systems and protected washout areas ensures your construction site complies with the Environment Protection Act 2017 and the local council.

If your site is non-compliant, it is at risk of being fined. A large builder in Melbourne was recently fined $6,105.00 for building site sediment flowing into a creek in West Footscray.

EPA Officers were conducting routine inspections and drove past Stony Creek, noticing sediment-laden water flowing from a stormwater drain into the creek. EPA officers followed the flow of sediment back to a construction site on Paramount Road, West Footscray, where they found the site lacked sediment controls such as barriers to trap sediment-laden runoff.

As quoted from the EPA Western Metropolitan Regional Manager;

“And if runoff from a building site contains significant amounts of sediment, it can just as easily contain residue from paint, glue, sealers, cement and other industrial chemicals,” she said. “The moment it leaves the building site; it becomes pollution and represents a risk to the community and the environment.”

Liquid from barrel pouring into Slurry Tub.

This fine could have been avoided if the correct protocol on-site had been followed. That’s why it is important to make sure your Environmental Management Plan includes a filter system as part of your protected washout area, which must be provided on site.

To ensure your site complies with the EPA and Council Regulations, best practice is to control cement/concrete sediment run off before the wastewater hits the ground. If not, your site is likely to be non-compliant.

The SLURRYTUB™ Cement Washout Tub, including filter, is available at Bowens to help control sediment onsite and comply with regulations.

Sediment Control Onsite

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