Shampoo firm is fined $8,000 after a 100-litre drum spilled into a drain and contaminated a lake 

A shampoo company has been fined after a 100-litre drum spilled into a stormwater drain and contaminated a Melbourne lake.

Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) officers were made aware of the spill, after foam was spotted in Blackburn Lake, east of the CBD, in January.

Members of the public notified the authority after they spotted a bizarre river of foam in the natural bushland reserve called Blackburn Lake Sanctuary. 

The bubbles were revealed to have been caused by a spilled drum of shampoo that was dumped into a stormwater drain by a nearby factory, 9News reported.

STN International Pty Ltd, the parent company of skin care company Lalisse Australia Pty Ltd, was later identified as being responsible for the spill and fined $8,060. 

The company’s website states it produces brands, such as Rosanna, Lilydale, Green Valley and Lariena, using ‘pure, natural and environmentally friendly’ ingredients. 

EPA Metro Region Manager Dan Hunt told the publication the company cleaned up the foam and have since put in place controls to prevent it from happening again. 

Mr Hunt said while the spill had the potential to cause serious harm to the reserve’s wildlife, including the fish, there is no evidence of this at this stage. 

Members of the public notified the authority after they spotted a bizarre river of foam (pictured) in the natural bushland reserve called Blackburn Lake Sanctuary

‘High levels of these surfactants can cause environmental damage to the freshwater environment,’ Mr Hunt said.

‘They can deprive fish and aquatic life of oxygen in the water and interfere with their metabolic processes.’

The authority has urged people to get in contact if they suspect a pollution event has occurred. 

STN International Pty Ltd, the parent company of skin care company Lalisse Australia Pty Ltd, was later identified as being responsible for the spill and fined $8,060