Painter fined for Karaaf contamination

A TRAIL of waste paint that flowed into a drain near the Karaaf Wetlands has resulted in a heavy fine for a contractor of a Torquay North building site.

The Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) issued a $5,548 fine to a painting company working on an under-construction house in the suburb.

Routine inspections during June found water being used to wash painting equipment was flowing across a footpath, into a roadside gutter and then to a stormwater drain that lead to the nearby wetlands.

The EPA also found the painter failed to enact adequate controls to keep contaminated water onsite for proper disposal.

The site’s developer has been issued an official warning as the manager of the building site.

EPA south-west regional manager Tanya McAteer said paint and its dangerous chemicals had no place in local wetlands and waterways.

“EPA officers have been inspecting building sites in the North Torquay area after residents expressed concerns about impacts from development upstream of the Karaaf Wetlands.

“In this case, the concerns of the public were clearly justified. The trail of white-coloured water went some distance in the gutter before it entered the stormwater drain,” she said.

“Chemicals like this don’t just vanish when they disappear into the drain – they can affect wetlands and other surface waters, and they can find their way into groundwater that’s used for agriculture and household use.”

People can report pollution by phoninh EPA’s 24-hour hotline on 1300 372 842 or providing details online at epa.vic.gov.au/report-pollution/reporting-pollution

General information on hazardous chemicals and water pollution is also available at the EPA website.