By Declan Bowring

Copyright abc

The state’s Environment Protection Authority says it is investigating reports of a disturbing hum noise in Sydney’s north-west that residents say has been keeping them awake through the night over the last few months.

Residents in Rydalmere and Ermington said the noise had been audible at night between 6pm and 6am.

Ermington resident Brenton Potter said one night he drove from his home to Rydalmere to investigate the source of the noise, and said it became clearer as he got close to the Camellia industrial area.

“We’ve lost a few nights sleep,” Mr Potter told 702 ABC Radio Sydney.

City of Parramatta councillor Kellie Darley told 702 ABC Radio Sydney she had been hearing reports from residents about the noise over the last month.

“It’s driving people batty,” Cr Darley said.

“They can’t sleep, it can kick in some nights as early as 8pm and run through until 6, 7 in the morning.

Cr Darley said residents looked into whether it might be the tunnelling machines digging the Sydney Metro, however, the boring machines were further west at Westmead when the noise was reported.

She said they had also looked into whether if they were police drones or water pumps at construction sites.

“People want to know if this is going to continue,” Cr Darley said.

“It’s only been happening in the last few months. If it is a business, what’s changed and how do we make this stop?”

Executive director of Regulatory Operations at the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Stephen Beaman said their investigations had narrowed down the source of the noise to three industrial sites in Camellia.

“We’ll be on to the companies this morning to get them to identify and rectify any requirements they need to have at their facility,” Mr Beaman told 702 ABC Radio Sydney.

Mr Beaman said the EPA said possible fines could range from $30,000 on the spot to $2 million for corporations that can be imposed by courts.