IF you’ve ever wondered what that stench is across Hamilton on occasion, you can be forgiven for thinking it smells like effluent, because that’s what it is - human sewage.

A comment on Hamilton Victoria’s Community Group Facebook page over the weekend triggered commentary and complaints from Hamilton residents exclaiming surprise at the revelation that human waste from Camperdown was being ‘dumped’ at the Hamilton Sewage Treatment Plant on the corner of Beath and Henderson Street.

So surprised, some did not believe it was true.

However, the revelation prompted some to say they had wondered what the stench was and mistakenly thought it was perhaps either the wool scourer business or the saleyards but exclaimed they didn’t think either of those sites could produce a stench that bad.

Joseph Tassone, who bought his house in Pioneer Street, Hamilton two years ago and is approximately 300 metres to the north of the Hamilton Sewage Treatment Plant, initiated the discussion on the Facebook page.

He asked community members if they were aware Wannon Water were “bringing in tip truck loads of human poo from Camperdown and dumping it in South Boundary Road, Hamilton”.

“It is left out in the open in piles to dry in the south winds which blows the polluted air into Hamilton community, the air we breathe into our bodies is poison we need to think of our kid’s health and Hamilton people’s health.

“Please let’s do something to stop this NOW”.

Mr Tassone told The Spectator yesterday he had been complaining to Wannon Water about the smell for at least 18 months because human waste, or sludge, was being dumped across several acres of drying beds at the Beath Street Plant site.

“The smell is unbearable - two to three times a week,” he said.

“Please believe me - some days we cannot be here.

“I have prostate cancer and I want this to be fixed and for the Hamilton people to be aware of what Wannon Water is doing before I die.

“What Wannon Water does now - is dump it on a Friday and the smell is unbearable over the weekend and there is nothing you can do about it - you can’t ring anyone.”

Mr Tassone said that Wannon Water had not been transparent about what they had been doing at the Plant - by describing it as biosolid - when in fact it is not solid - it is human waste sludge.

“It’s a scam,” he said.

Fallon Gustus lives with her family on Port Fairy Road just on the outskirts of Hamilton before the railway line and said they had also noticed the smell on and off - particularly over the last several weeks.

“We were unaware what the smell was and where it was coming from,” she said.

“It’s very vile to the point we stay inside and keep our windows closed.

“Upon reading the FB post over the weekend, we are now concerned as to why the waste is being bought here.

“What chemicals are being sprayed to mask the smell?

“What health implications does this have on surrounding homes and the community?”

Bronwyn and Peter Dwight also live on Port Fairy Road and have equally expressed concern about the smell and the dumping of human waste.

“We’d like to know - we’d be very concerned if they’re dumping human waste there, out in the open,” he said.

“We’d also like to know what chemicals they’re using and if they are safe.”

While the issue is essentially a State Government responsibility, Mr Tassone contacted Wannon MP Dan Tehan’s office for assistance in seeking a resolution.

“We called Wannon Water after (Mr Tassone) approached my office to get an explanation of what was going on because other people in the community had also raised the smell issue with me in March (this year),” Mr Tehan said.

“They gave us an explanation that it was due to them having to import sewage from other locations’ sewage.

“As a result of complaints by Mr Tassone, I have now written to the Victorian State Government to find out what is going on so that we can provide an explanation to the community.

“Dan Andrews’ minister needs to provide the community with an explanation as to whether this is a one off or something that is going to continue.”

“The community should be made aware of what is happening.

“Any responsible government would do that.”

In 2019, Wannon Water advised the community of an investment of $3.6 million for two new biosolid drying beds at the Hamilton Sewage Treatment Plant – that would bring the total number of drying beds at the site to five.

In November 2021, Wannon Water released a media statement advising the community that “biosolid material” had been transported to Hamilton from Port Fairy and Warrnambool over the past 12 months.

“This was due to our principal facility at Camperdown undergoing maintenance,” they said.

“We’ve operated the existing Hamilton facility with no complaints for a number of years and we are committed to working with nearby property owners to ensure this continues.

“Processing and stockpiling generally occurs over warmer months and can generate odours. Our odour mitigation methods include minimising drying activities when prevailing winds may impact on nearby properties. This is why we stopped work on Friday until conditions improve.

On Monday this week, Wannon Water branch operations manager, Wayne Murdoch, responded to the concerns raised on Facebook and said that “our principal biosolids facility at Camperdown is at capacity”.

“So we are temporarily carting biosolids sludge from Port Fairy and Warrnambool to our facility in Hamilton.

“The sludge drying process can occasionally create odours which aren’t harmful to health but may impact people in the nearby area.

“We have deodorising misters on site to help alleviate strong odours leaving the site and we only undertake drying activities during favourable wind conditions.

“The Environment Protection Authority has approved the movement of sludge to the Hamilton site.”

Mr Tehan said he would update the community on receipt of a reply from the Victorian Government.