Onsite wastewater treatment system

A Permit to Install or Alter an onsite wastewater system must be approved before any work begins. If you are also building, the permit is required before a building permit can be issued.

To apply for a permit

Contact Council's Environmental Health Team via phone or email to apply for a permit.

• Phone: 03 9747 7200
• Email: health@melton.vic.gov.au

The system must be constructed, installed and maintained in accordance with Council guidelines, and requirements provided by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA). Council inspects sites and approves permits for installation or alteration.

If a Planning Permit is required, your onsite wastewater system Permit cannot be issued until the Planning Permit has been issued. Contact the Planning Department on 03 9747 7200 with any inquiries.

Land Capability Assessments

You may need to have a Land Capability Assessment (LCA) of your property to decide the most suitable system to treat your wastewater. If this is required, a copy of the report will also need to be included with your permit application.

A LCA involves tests and studies to determine how the land can be used, by looking at the land features, soil properties and potential impact on water catchments. The LCA will typically require you to install a specific type of system suited to the property, depending on the nature of the land and the size of the proposed dwelling.

For more information on LCA's and whether this will be required for your property, contact Council's Environmental Health Team.

• Completed and signed application form (the application form will be provided to you when you enquire with Council's Environmental Health Team. The form MUST be signed by the property owner)
• A detailed floor plan of the dwelling (if applicable)
• A Site/Allotment Plan showing the items listed in the form, including distances to water sources and property boundaries. This plan must be completed by the plumber installing the system
• Current copy of Title
• A Land Capability Assessment (obtained as part of a Planning Permit, or separately)
• Plans and specifications of the proposed system, (including the specific tank or treatment plant if relevant)
• If an alteration, Council will also require a plan detailing the existing system and dwelling, clearly differentiated from the proposed changes
• Pay the required fee to install or alter

You may need to provide extra documents in certain circumstances including:

• The manufacturer’s commissioning certificate (if a Treatment Plant was installed).
• A signed servicing agreement (if a Treatment Plant was installed).
• An electrical certificate (if a Pump Well was installed).

A Permit to Use the onsite wastewater system needs to be issued before you can use the system. This permit also must be issued before a building Certificate of Occupancy can be issued for any related building works. 

As the wastewater system is installed, you or your plumber must contact our Environmental Health Team to arrange progress inspections.

A 'Permit to Use' will be granted to the applicant once the wastewater system is installed and all required inspections, including plumbing and electrical compliance certificates are submitted.

A wastewater treatment plant must not be used until the 'Permit to Use' has been issued.

The Environmental Health Officer inspects and approves all septic systems at various stages throughout the process. 

• A Site Inspection is required before a Permit to Install can be issued.
• An Installation Inspection is required mid-installation and before back-filling so we can see that the septic tank and the effluent lines are installed correctly.
• A Final Inspection is required when the system is complete.

Please contact Council's Environmental Health Team on 03 9747 7200 and provide notice of at least three business days when planning your installation to ensure an Installation inspection can be scheduled before the effluent lines need to be closed. 

A Permit to Use the onsite wastewater tank system needs to be issued before you can use the system.  This permit also must be issued before a building Certificate of Occupancy can be issued for any related building works. 

Before a Permit to Use can be issued, please make sure you:

• Provide a copy of the Plumbing Industry Compliance Certificate.
• Provide an As Laid Site Plan showing the septic system exactly as installed.
• Contact Council to request a Final Inspection from Council’s Environmental Health Officers.

To extend an existing Permit to Install/Alter a Wastewater Management System, you will need to complete the Application to Renew/Amend the Permit and pay the applicable fee. To do this, please contact Council's Environment Health Team via phone or email:

• Phone 03 9747 7200
• Email: health@melton.vic.gov.au

Existing onsite wastewater systems need various amounts of maintenance, depending on the type of system installed. Please note that wastewater systems must be serviced quarterly and tested annually.

All systems typically need to have the sludge cleared every three to five years.

The responsibility for managing an onsite wastewater system lies with the property owner. Some systems must be regularly maintained by a professional service technician. The maintenance reports must be forwarded to our Environmental Health Team as per the conditions of the 'Permit to Use'.

Under the Environmental Protection Act 2017, the General Environmental Duty (GED) requires any person engaging in an activity that may cause risk of harm to human health or the environment from pollution or waste to minimise these risks.

The GED applies to people who own or use (i.e. tenants) a septic tank and how the system is constructed, installed, altered, operated, and maintained. Management of treated wastewater from your system is your responsibility. Older systems, poorly installed systems, and poorly maintained systems can be a risk to human health and the environment; however, correctly maintaining your system will prevent harm and increase the life of your system.

The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) website details the Obligations of managers of land or infrastructure requirements to minimise risks of harm to human health and the environment from pollution or waste.

Onsite wastewater professionals, such as land assessors, installers, plumbing practitioners, service technicians, can refer to Environment Protection Authority Regulations for reference to Victoria’s environment protection regulatory framework. It outlines a risk-based approach to managing onsite wastewater management systems (OWMS) and provides links to other guidelines and information about onsite wastewater management.

The EPA local government toolkit regulating onsite wastewater management systems sets out the new laws for on-site wastewater management systems (OWMS) with a daily design or actual flow rate of sewage capacity of 5000 litres (L) or less that councils can enforce.

For more technical information for those who design, install or want to check if the land is suitable for guidelines effluent dispersal and recycling systems, the EPA has some guidelines which can help people who make planning decisions and regulators to assess permit applications for onsite wastewater systems under 5,000 litres.

If you are looking to purchase a home and wanting some information about the current onsite wastewater system on the property you can do so under a Section 32 Vendor Statements. A Section 32 must disclose if a property is not connected to mains sewerage. 

Onsite Wastewater Management System factsheet

Download Council's factsheet for new homeowners(PDF, 137KB) on how best to maintain the property's onsite wastewater management system.