Understanding your sewerage service

Reticulated sewerage systems are most common in urban areas of the Shoalhaven. If you are connected to Council's reticulation sewerage system, it means your wastewater is transferred through a series of underground pipes to one of 13 wastewater treatment plants across the region. 

Shoalhaven Water is responsible for operating and maintaining the extensive network of sewer pipes.

As a property owner, it is your responsibility to:

• Ensure access is available to any sewer inspection point within your property.
• Maintain all the pipes within the property through to the point of connection of our sewer network.
• Prevent stormwater from entering the sewer system.

Stormwater should never enter the sewer network. Stormwater entering into the sewer network is a common cause for sewer overflow.

If your home is not connected to Council’s reticulated sewer system, then you are likely disposing of your wastewater via an on-site sewage management system.

These types of systems are more common in rural areas or towns that are not near an area with a reticulated system.

Although there are many variations of on-site effluent systems, there are 3 main types in use in the Shoalhaven, and they are:

• Effluent pumpout systems registered to receive regular scheduled pumpouts,
• Septic tank (absorption) systems that have on-site effluent disposal such as a seep-away system, and
• Aerated wastewater treatment systems (AWTS) that have an on-site effluent disposal.

Pressure sewer systems are generally located in areas where a conventional gravity system is not a viable servicing option, such as on flat or rocky terrain. They operate like a normal sewerage system taking wastewater from your home and transferring it to the local reticulation system.

If a pressure sewer system is installed on your property it is Shoalhaven Water's responsibility to maintain the components. It will have been installed in a position that is accessible for servicing and must be kept clear at all times for ongoing maintenance. At no times are they to be adjusted, serviced, or relocated by any persons other than Shoalhaven Water operations staff.