Mackellar Care Services has requested council review its non-residential sewer usage charges and excessive water charges related to leaks in the fire main, which services the Apex Road campus; and a broken water pipe at a trough located in the Wallaby Trap.

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The leak from the fire main caused the average water usage to more than double.

The leak had gone unnoticed because the water was running into a stormwater main. It caused the average water usage to rise from an average of 51 kilolitres per day in the two years leading up to the leak, to 118 kilolitres per day in February 2018 and 133 kilolitres per day in May 2018. 

The water consumption is charged out as a non-residential property at the first-tier rate, and non-residential sewer charges were also applied and billed out at $13,816.78.  

The leak at the Wallaby Trap was detected on June 7, 2018 and had gone unnoticed for a significant amount of time. The trough was turned off by Mackellar Care staff after the problem was discovered.

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The trough in the Wallaby Trap is fed through the bulk water meter servicing of the village homes and the remnants of a connection installed prior to Mackellar Care taking responsibility for the facilities operations. 

Mackellar Care has also requested a resolution for historical charges incurred by the facility for water used through the Wallaby Trap trough. 

There is a separate water meter present at the Wallaby Trap that has not been read during the time Mackellar Care has operated the facility. 

Two other requests for water consumption reduction charges will also be considered at the council meeting.