Gippsland Water to release partially treated wastewater to Shillinglaw Creek

Gippsland Water will gradually release partially treated wastewater into Shillinglaw Creek over the next two months.

The wastewater is from Drouin wastewater treatment plant, which has reached its storage capacity due to consistent heavy rainfall.

The wastewater, which is normally used for irrigation, poses no risk to livestock and waterway health. However, it is advised that people do not drink directly from Shillinglaw Creek or King Parrot Creek, especially during the two-month period.

Gippsland Water will undertake extensive monitoring to ensure no harm is caused to the environment from the release of the wastewater.

Gippsland Water is in the advanced stages of completing a $55 million upgrade to the Drouin wastewater treatment plant, to cater for current and future growth.

The project construction phase is almost finished with commissioning to commence shortly, and is due to be completed by mid-2022.