Thousands of litres of water used to wash out poultry sheds have escaped a Carisbrook broiler farm, costing the operator a fine of nearly $10,000 from EPA Victoria.

EPA officers inspecting the site on Baringhup Rd, Carisbrook, on 15 August 2024, found wastewater escaping from a breached evaporation dam and flowing across Hurses Lane and Black Lane.

They traced the flow back to the dam on a property run by Pavilion Farms 3 Pty Ltd, a Richmond based company. They took water samples to confirm the origin of the escaped wastewater, before EPA fined the company $9,880 for unlawfully depositing waste of more than 1,000 litres via an offsite water discharge.

EPA Northwest Regional Manager Paul Ratajczyk says the investigation began when a passing member of the public encountered a lane covered in wastewater.

“The water had been used to wash down the inside of a poultry shed, which made it industrial waste from a legal point of view, and a source of biological contamination for nearby waterways,” Mr Ratajczyk said.

“The presence of bacteria from poultry manure made the wastewater a potential hazard to the environment and neighbouring farms,” he said.

“Businesses must have appropriate controls in place to manage and dispose of all wastes generated by their operations, they are expected to be proactive about preventing pollution, and EPA won’t hesitate to take action when pollution occurs.”

Members of the public can report pollution by calling EPA’s 24-hour hotline on 1300 372 842 or providing details online at epa.vic.gov.au/report-pollution/reporting-pollution

EPA takes more than 20,000 calls a year from members of the public.