Coramba Groundwater Monitoring- Hydrocarbon Contamination
Groundwater contamination was discovered in Coramba 2002, when fuel odours were noticed by a resident near the Orara River.
Subsequent investigations identified the source of hydrocarbon contamination to be from a nearby service station that had a leaking underground storage tank that has since been removed.
On discovering the contamination, actions were taken immediately by the City of Coffs Harbour and the government agencies responsible, to safeguard the village’s reticulated water supply and introduce environmental monitoring.
Ongoing groundwater monitoring and the effects of natural processes indicate that the level of hydrocarbon contamination is continuing to decline.
As a result, the Environmental Protection Authority has recently determined that the contamination is no longer significant enough to warrant the original restrictions.
Management of the site
The site is currently subject to an ongoing maintenance order issued by the NSW Environmental Protection Authority under section 28 of the Contaminated Land Management Act 1997.
Ongoing monitoring of the hydrocarbon contamination in accordance with the Groundwater Management Plan will continue to review contaminant trends to ensure levels continue to decline in line with the project’s aims.
More information about this site can be found on the NSW Environmental Protection Authority website.
Groundwater Monitoring Reports and Management Plan
The following reports outline the management plan for the site and the results of recent monitoring:
Coramba Groundwater Monitoring Report April 2017.pdf(PDF, 11MB)
Coramba NSW Groundwater Management Plan February 2017(PDF, 6MB)
For further information
For more information about the groundwater contamination, please contact:
Team Leader Public Health & Environment
02) 6648 4000
coffs.council@chcc.nsw.gov.au