A waste spill on Bandiana Link Road has left motorists' vehicles upset

The Environment Protection Authority is investigating the incident, which happened at the intersection with Anzac Parade on the morning of Monday, July 24.

The road was covered with what was believed to be a mixture of "non-hazardous" effluent and a substance that resembled milk.

While a Vic Emergency alert said at the time there was "no immediate threat to the community", those forced to drive through the spill are upset with the impact on their cars.

They want the company responsible, who police would not name, to be made accountable for their cleaning costs.

Elisa Walker was driving to work on Monday about 8.30am when she saw a lot of cars banking-up.

She thought it was a traffic jam, but then saw "light brown mud across all of the road".

After driving through it she was in complete dismay on seeing a white truck with "non-hazardous" written across the side.

"I thought 'oh no, what did I just drive through?'," Ms Walker said.

"It was an awful smell. When I got to work I realised just how bad the smell was and I went to the car wash and it wouldn't go, it is really bad."

Ms Walker said her car still "stinks" a day later and that it had been "very unpleasant".

"What am I supposed to do if I can't get the smell out? How am I supposed to clean it?

"There's a cost factor."

Ms Walker said if she knew who the truck company was she would be ringing to ask to be reimbursed for cleaning her car numerous times.

"I need to desperately get the smell away," she said. "It's an indescribable smell".

One Border company quickly moved to distance itself from the spill.

Chant Holdings, a liquid waste business said the spillage did not come from its trucks.

"If you saw our trucks there, they were helping with the clean up. That's what we do," a post on social media read.

Another affected driver was Kathy Emmins, who said the company should be held accountable for anyone who had to get their car professionally cleaned given "it stunk so bad".

"You have business insurance for a reason, and I'm sure they would have the appropriate insurance to cover unfortunate incidentals like this," she said.

"I'm having to waste my time driving out to our mechanic workshop that my partner runs in Holbrook to jack my car up so he can de-grease and warm pressure wash underneath it."

Ms Emmins said many cars would have driven through the spillage.

"It was open for hours and should have been closed off," she said.

"I understand accidents happen, but maybe it could have been handled in a more timely way. The smell driving through the area was awful."

Wodonga police's Senior-Sergeant Shane Martin said the spill was due to "human error".

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