Worry at new Corowa sewage treatment plant Murray River discharges

Councillors voted at their meeting this week to have property along Redlands Road, near the Corowa aerodrome, used for effluent processing.

However, the project, estimated to cost $27 million, is subject to community consultation.

Councillor Sally Hughes asked Federation's director of engineering Theo Panagopoulos if there was an option that avoids discharge into the Murray River.

"What is proposed is that we will maintain our storage and the discharge will only be in circumstances where we can't cope with the volume of the water that's being generated," Mr Panagopoulos said.

He added that to have no discharge at all would require much more land for the treatment process and subsequently have a significantly greater cost.

Rob Pearce, a property owner who has land on Murray River anabranches west of Corowa, voiced his concern in the public forum preceding this week's meeting.

"No one I have spoken to thinks the new plant should discharge into the river and I believe there should be public consultation before any options are adopted by council," Mr Pearce said.

"The new plant will be here for generations, so I implore that councillors don't make any hasty decisions that could prove detrimental to the ongoing health of the environment."

Deputy mayor Shaun Whitechurch noted care of the river was important.

"I know that (NSW) Public Works and these people aren't going to allow a facility to be built in today's climate that is not going to be safe for our ecosystem," Cr Whitechurch said.

Mr Panagopoulos noted the treatment plant, involving UV disinfection and sludge drying, would have to meet safeguards.

"We need to get EPA approval for this, they're not going to let us discharge poorly into the river, it's going to be highly regulated and highly controlled," he said.

Councillor Andrew Kennedy said a new sewage treatment set-up was needed to aid Corowa expanding.

"I think this is the best site we can do, the existing site (in Nixon Street) is not big enough, it can't handle what it's got there now and if Corowa is going to grow this money needs to be spent," Cr Kennedy said.

Also at this week's meeting, the council agreed to produce a report looking at emergency preparedness, after a notice of motion was put by Cr Hughes.

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