THE threat of sewage seeping into the Swan and Canning rivers has prompted stakeholders to demand the State Government take action.
Swan MHR Steve Irons said nutrient seepage from properties not connected to the infill sewerage network in the City of Belmont and Town of Victoria Park was a major concern for the future health of the rivers.
He said the incomplete sewerage network was leading to nutrient seepage affecting water quality and contributing to algal blooms.
Connecting properties to infill sewerage should be a priority as nitrogen and phosphorus levels in the rivers were too high, he said.
Belmont Mayor Glenys Godfrey said nutrient seepage from unconnected properties, mainly in Kewdale, was an issue.
She said property owners should be able to connect to the sewerage network to protect the health of the river.
“Most of our residential properties have the provision to connect with the sewerage network but the Kewdale industrial region does not and this needs to change as a matter of urgency,” she said.
Victoria Park sustainable development director Rochelle Lavery said industrial land and a small piece of land at the end of Goodwood Parade, which could be developed into a high-density residential property, needed to be connected to infill sewerage.
Ms Lavery said the State Government had advised that it was limited by the budget and the most sensitive areas were prioritised.
However, according to the Water Corporation there were no projects left to be completed in City of Belmont or Town of Victoria Park suburbs under the State Government’s Infill Sewerage Program. City of Belmont chief executive Stuart Cole said the Kewdale industrial area was not included in the Water Corporation’s projects that needed to be completed.
He said Government funding was not provided for this area, which in turn prompted the City and the Belmont Mayor to call for the Government to make the Kewdale industrial area a priority.