Update: Department of Environment and Heritage protection are working with the Council to stop contamination in Breakaway Creek after a sewage leak on May 17.
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A spokesperson for the Department of Environment and Heritage protection said they were informed on May 17 by Mount Isa City Council that a sewage pump station had failed and untreated sewage was released, flowing into Breakaway Creek.
"The department has two compliance officers on the ground in Mount Isa to ensure Council’s actions to clean-up the spill are appropriate and to investigate the cause of the spill," the spokesperson said.
“While the release has the potential to adversely impact water quality and ecosystem health, the Department of Environment and Heritage protection (EHP) is unable to quantify at this point what specific environmental impacts have occurred (save for the fact that sewage was released to the associated land and waterway)."
The spokesperson said water supplies remains unaffected by the sewage leak.
“The Council has constructed earthen bunds within Breakaway Creek to prevent any release material entering the Leichhardt River and clean-up operations are continuing,” said the spokesperson.
EHP will continue to work with the Mount Isa City Council to determine the best plan of action for the future and have recommended that appropriate signage be put in place to warn the public of the extent of the contamination.
EARLIER: A large sewerage spill occurred on Sunday morning May 17 into Breakaway Creek near the Miles Street crossing.
Mount Isa’s sewerage pump station experienced a malfunction at its Number One Pump Station resulting in a large sewerage spill into Breakaway Creek from Miles Street crossing and extending approximately 580 meters downstream.
Crews were able to stop the flow of sewerage after a Mount Isa City Council employee reported the leak, with cleaning and restoration of Breakaway Creek taking place over the next two days.
The Department of Environment and Heritage Protection have been contacted and will be working with the Mount Isa City Council to address the issue.
The cause of the malfunction is unknown at this time and workers are investigating the electrical system failure and aim to prevent the incident from occurring again.
Mount Isa City Council media release said that the pump station was constructed with tanks to contain spills in case an incident occurred but the telemetry system also failed.
The public is requested to avoid coming into contact with the water in the spill area until it has been cleared.
