Footage provided to The Weekly Review shows a Stonnington Council truck driver releasing liquid into a drain outside Glenferrie Road shops near Kooyong Station.

A Stonnington resident alleged that the dumping had been happening up to four nights a week in the early hours of the morning.

For about eight months shopkeepers and a resident suspected a commercial operator of dumping the foul-smelling liquid.

But the resident, who asked not to be named, said a proactive shopkeeper on the strip filmed the Stonnington truck driver releasing the liquid.

"There's been an awful smell for the last eight months and then we saw the footage which showed hundreds of litres of waste going down the drain," he said.

A shopkeeper made contact with Stonnington Council about three months ago to let them know about the incidents, the resident said.

"The shopkeeper told me he told council about it and they had replied with, 'we can't really do anything'.

"The worst part was that council was also talking tough, and said when they did find 'them there would be fines in the thousands'."

Fed up with a lack of action, the resident took to capturing further evidence himself and spreading it via social media.

"I started taking photos of the liquid on the ground and tweeting them to my 3500 followers," he said.

"The environmental officer tracked me down and said it was difficult to investigate because they didn't have the proper resources.

"So the local shopkeeper set up the camera, got the footage on camera and we showed council last Monday – since then, it has been in the hands of Waste Management and nothing has been done."

The council confirmed it had investigated the incident and discplined the workers involved.

Stonnington chief executive officer Warren Roberts said the council was made aware of a council truck discharging liquid into the stormwater drain close to 487 Glenferrie Road.

"A video recording taken by the occupants of a nearby property have revealed the litterbin collection crew employed by council was emptying the fluid tray situated in the front of the truck into the stormwater drain," Mr Roberts said.

"After investigation by council it has been identified that the crew were releasing a build up of water and fluids within the garbage truck that accumulates from rainwater and other liquids collected in litterbins."

Mr Roberts said the "primarily water-based liquid" was "harmless" and collects in a tray at the front of the vehicle.

"The crew emptied the liquid so it wouldn't splash out whilst they are working," he said.

Mr Roberts said it was "not accepted practice and will not be repeated".

"This was isolated to one crew at one location. The crew have been disciplined and a full review of work practices is underway."

The council's Environmental Health Department has issued a Prohibition Notice under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act and the council is in the process of liaising with local traders.

""The City of Stonnington prides itself on high levels of community satisfaction including in waste management services. We will continue to provide a high level of service to our residents the community" Mr Roberts said.

The Weekly Review