Sewerage Services

Cabonne Council owns and operates 7 sewage treatment plants that service Molong, Canowindra, Eugowra, Manildra, Cudal, Cumnock & Yeoval. The towns of Molong, Canowindra and Eugowra use gravity sewer systems while others utilise low pressure sewer pod system.

Pressure Sewerage Systems

To report a sewer system fault or ‘Alarm’, please phone Cabonne Council on the 24-hour contact number (02) 6392 3234.

Properties connected to a pressure sewerage system rely on a small pump located on site. To help keep your system operating safely and efficiently, please follow the guidance below.

Alarm Light and Water Use

If the alarm light is on, this indicates the system needs attention.

Please avoid using large amounts of water, such as:
- washing machines
- showers or baths
- dishwashers
To silence the alarm, press the silence button on the underside of the grey control panel (push the button upwards).
The red light on top of the control panel will remain on until the unit is inspected or serviced by Council‑authorised personnel.

Pump Tank Lid – Access and Safety

The green pump tank lid is a critical part of the system and must be treated carefully.

Do not drive vehicles over the lid.
Do not place objects, soil, or landscaping over the lid.
The lid must always remain accessible.
Do not fill around or cover the lid. It must stay raised above ground level to:
- allow proper venting, and
- reduce the risk of stormwater entering the pump tank.

Extended Absences and Holidays

If you plan to be away from your property for more than three to four days, the pump tank should be flushed before you leave.

How to flush the system:

Pour 35 litres (or four full buckets) of clean water into the sewer via the:
- laundry tub,
- bath, or
- toilet.
After flushing, do not use the toilet.

This process activates the pump, removing effluent and replacing it with relatively clean water.

If electricity will be switched off at the switchboard for an extended period, you should also turn off the water supply at the water meter. This helps prevent the pump tank from overflowing due to leaking taps or fittings while the power is off.

Stormwater Connections

Stormwater must be kept completely separate from the sewerage system.

Roof and stormwater drains must never be connected to household sanitary sewer pipes.
Stormwater entering the sewer system can:
- cause the pump to run excessively,
- increase the risk of pump tank overflow, and
- place unnecessary strain on the wider sewer network.

User Information for Property Owners and Occupiers

Your property is connected to the Manildra Village reticulated pressure sewerage system. This system uses specialised sewerage equipment to collect and transfer all household sewage and wastewater safely and efficiently.

Pressure Sewer Equipment on Your Property

Your property includes an underground pump tank that collects wastewater from your home. This tank can be identified by the pale green lid located in your yard.

Additional sewer system infrastructure installed on your property includes:

a light grey electrical control panel mounted on the side of your house, on an outbuilding, or on a post near the pump tank
an underground black 40 mm plastic sewer discharge pipeline
a black plastic boundary box containing valves and control equipment

Responsibilities and Maintenance

All specialised pressure sewer equipment located on your property is owned, serviced, and maintained by Cabonne Council.

Any faults, alarms, or servicing requirements must be reported directly to Council. Only Council‑authorised personnel are permitted to service or repair sewer equipment on private properties.

How the System Operates

The sewer pump operates automatically as sewage and wastewater flow into the pump tank from your household plumbing.

Power to run the pump is supplied via your domestic electricity supply, with a dedicated electrical circuit installed specifically for the sewer pump unit.

Important Note for Property Owners

Cabonne Council is not responsible for maintaining or clearing house gravity sanitary drains that connect your internal plumbing to the pump tank. These drains remain the responsibility of the property owner.

Caution

Live services and sewer infrastructure are installed underground on your property. Care must be taken during any excavation, landscaping, or construction works to avoid damage.

Live underground power is connected between the electrical control panel and the pump tank. It is critical that this power cable is not damaged during any works carried out on your property.
An underground black 40 mm plastic sewer discharge pipeline runs from the pump tank (identified by the pale green lid) to the boundary valve box (rectangular black plastic lid), which is typically located near the front or rear fence line.
This pipeline must not be damaged by any works undertaken on your property.

What Must Not Enter the Sewer System

To ensure your pressure sewer system operates correctly, do not allow any of the following items to enter the sewer:

Nappies, sanitary pads, tampons or cotton buds
Socks, rags or cleaning cloths
Plastic objects, glass, metal, wood, toys or rocks
Kitty litter or sand
Explosives or flammable liquids
Petrol, car engine oils, grease, powerful chemicals or paints
Cooking oil, general kitchen grease, fats or food scraps
Strong disinfectants

Helpful Tips

Use paper towels to wipe grease or oil from baking dishes and plates, then place them in the rubbish bin.
Empty used cooking oil into small plastic containers and dispose of them in the bin once cooled.

Important Note

If any of the above items, or similar materials, cause blockages or damage to the sewer system or its components, the property owner will be responsible for all costs associated with restoring the system to normal operation.

Other Important Things to Know

Power Failure

If a mains power interruption occurs, your sewer pump will not operate and the alarm will not activate.

During a power outage, please reduce water usage in your home to avoid the risk of the pump tank overflowing.

Tips to reduce water use during a power failure include:

taking shorter showers
minimising toilet flushing
if you have a bath, do not empty the bathwater until power is restored

These steps help reduce the amount of wastewater entering the pump tank during the outage.

Once power is restored, the pump unit should restart automatically. If an alarm does sound, this indicates the pump tank is more than half full. There is no need to panic—simply follow the instructions shown on the control panel sticker.

Alarms

If the alarm sounds and the red light is on, this may be caused by:

the use of large volumes of water at one time, or
wastewater buildup following a prolonged power interruption

In most cases, the situation will correct itself automatically once the pump catches up.

If the alarm continues to sound and the red light remains on for more than one (1) hour, please contact Cabonne Council on 6392 3234 to report the issue.

New Sewerage Connections

To apply for a sewer connection, please complete the online form, or download the form here

Click here to view form.

Disconnection of Sewerage Services

To apply to have your sewerage service disconnected from Council's sewerage system, please complete the application for Disconnection of Water and Sewer and lodge it at Council along with the application fee.

Request for Quotation for Water- Sewer Disconnection 25-26

Caring for your Sewer Pod

Problems with Sewerage

If you are experiencing sewerage problems, we recommend contacting council first. Council will be able to identify if the problem is with our sewer system or is related to your property.

To report a sewerage service problem please contact council’s infrastructure team on (02) 6392 3200 during normal business hours and if it is an emergency after hours, please call council on (02) 6392 3234.

Responsible Flushing

A friendly reminder to please not flush wipes and sanitary products down your toilet. Only flush the 3P's; pee, poo and paper.

Not only do you risk blocking your own system (and an expensive plumber call-out fee), but these products cause blockages to the whole sewer system.

Although so many are labelled as flushable, the truth is that they do not break down adequately and causing detrimental blockages and damage to plumbing.

In addition, wet/baby wipes do not break down like toilet paper does. They are designed to be much stronger and therefore take significantly longer in the biodegradation process. The chemicals used in the manufacture of these wipes contributes to water pollution and the fibrous paper itself simply adds to waste product in our wastewater system.

If these wipes aren’t removed, they are flushed out to rivers and creeks, causing major environmental hazards.

Please pop these products in your bin!

EPA Reporting

Under the licence conditions outlined by the EPA council is required to report on pollution complaints and effluent conditions on our website. These licence conditions only apply to Molong and Canowindra STPs. They can be found below: