15 August 2024
A nasty group of objects that have become widely known in the water industry as the “Unflushables” are continuing to create problems for Goulburn Valley Water staff.
In the last 12 months there have been 391 blockages across the region, with GVW Water and Sewer staff required to remove things like wet wipes, tissues, paper towels – and various other unimaginable items – from the sewer network.
Some of the more unusual items that have been recovered during unblocking work include a number of phones, a snake, lots of coins and even a pedestal fan, found in a manhole.
GVW Managing Director Dr Steve Capewell said aside from the financial impost on the business, preventable sewer blockages were taking staff away from everyday tasks that ensured customers continued to enjoy reliable water and wastewater services.
“We need customers’ help to keep our sewers healthy and limit the number of blockages and overflows. A number of overflows occur inside a customer’s property, so you are doing yourself a favour by checking your flushing habits,” he said.
GVW regularly promotes the three Ps in its Don’t Flush It messaging, the campaign designed to educate customers about what should and should not be disposed of in the toilet or poured down the sink.
Winter is the peak period for sewer blockages and so large is the problem that, in May 2022, Standards Australia released definitions of what products shouldn’t be flushed down the toilet, while outlining testing criteria for manufacturers to determine if certain products are suitable to be flushed.
Dr Capewell said the sewer system was designed to transport sewage from toilets and drains to a Wastewater Management Facility (sewerage farm) and foreign objects created issues with this process.
“Not only can blockages be expensive for us, if it’s in your home it can also be very costly for you,” he said.
Items that should be disposed of in a bin rather than flushed down the toilet include tissues, flushable wipes, paper towel, nappies, tampons, sanitary pads, condoms, cotton wool balls, cotton buds, band aids, medication, syringes, clothing, rubbish, toys, razor blades, kitty litter.
Kitchen waste should be scraped into the bin or compost, with remaining fats and oils mopped up with paper towel or tissues and disposed of in the same way.
Items such as fats, oil, grease, food scraps, coffee grounds, tea leaves, medication, paint, thinners, chemicals, motor oil, petrol, pesticides, and herbicides should not be disposed of in drains.
If you are experiencing water not draining away in your sinks and toilet as it normally would, there may be a blockage in the sewerage system.
If this blockage occurs in the pipes or fittings on your property, the property owner will need to engage a plumber to resolve the issue. If the blockage is in Goulburn Valley Water’s sewerage system, our team will resolve the issue.
If it is unclear where the blockage is please contact Goulburn Valley Water at any time on 1800 454 500.