A proposal to release treated leachate from the closed Trafalgar landfill site into the environment is currently up for community consultation.
A proposal to release treated leachate from the closed Trafalgar landfill site into the environment is currently up for community consultation.
As part of this process, a "workshop event" will be held at the Trafalgar Community Centre on Tuesday, August 13 from 6.30pm to 8.30pm.
Baw Baw Shire said proposal to release of an estimated 5.2 million litres of treated leachate per year into creeks had been "thoroughly investigated" and "poses no risk to people or harm to the natural environment".
Councillors endorsed the plan in June, with officers estimating it could save council between $430,000 and $860,000 per year.
However, community feedback - now open until Thursday, August 25 - is set to play a key role in council's application to the Environment Protection Authority (EPA).
As well as having their say online, community members can have their say in person at the Trafalgar Community Centre workshop event.
There will also be a project display, presentation and question and answer session.
Baw Baw Shire mayor Annemarie McCabe acknowledged the recycled water release may sound confronting to some residents.
However, she assured the necessary risk audits and research had been completed to ensure it was a safe alternative.
"Understandably, some people may feel uneasy about the release of the recycled water into the environment," Cr McCabe said. "Council has taken all the steps to ensure it poses no risks, and weighed it up against the other options, which weren't as viable."
She said the community consultation included "some educational pieces" so that residents "can understand the process better and how it will work".
Residents who live nearby the closed landfill site were due to receive letters last week to inform them of the proposal and community consultation options, council added.
Currently, irrigation is the primary way recycled water is managed at the site.
However, council said it was now required to find another solution to manage recycled water when irrigation cannot occur during the wetter winter months.
The Trafalgar landfill operated from 1975 to 2011. It is currently in a post closure phase, with ongoing landfill gas and leachate management falling to council.
Leachate from the landfill site is currently collected and pumped to an on-site leachate dam, where it is aerated and treated by reverse osmosis. The recycled water is used to irrigate the landfill cap when weather conditions are suitable and there is cap demand. This occurs when the grass cover on the landfill requires watering to keep grass green and helps to reduce erosion.
To have your say on the proposal, find out more or view other options considered by council, visit bawbawconnect.com.au/trafalgarlandfill by Thursday, August 25.