Poo-splosion possibility for Picton potties

Council is warning the people of Picton to beware of sewage blow back.

Over the coming months council staff will carry out a programme of sewer mains cleaning, beginning in Picton.

And occasionally, during the cleaning process, water – or whatever happens to be lodged in your pipes – can be pushed back up through your toilet. An unpleasant experience if you happen to be sitting on it.

Operations and Maintenance Engineer Stephen Rooney says ‘blow back’ is, fortunately, a rare occurrence. But it does happen.

“It’s very unpleasant and distressing, especially if you happen to be sitting on the loo at the time,” Mr Rooney says.

When council is working in their street, people are advised to keep the toilet seat down and put a towel under the seat lid while their area is worked on.

“Some councils advise putting a weight like a brick on the lid or using cling film instead of the towel.”

To help people get prepared, Stephen is encouraging residents to check their letterbox for a notice about when the Council is cleaning the sewer mains in their area.

“I also encourage people to sign up to the Antenno app, which is regularly updated saying which streets we are working on.”

Antenno is a free mobile app that sends notifications and alerts based on locations chosen by the user. It’s simple to use and no personal information or login details are required. It can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.

Stephen says the objective of the cleaning programme is to find tree roots, blockages and pipes damaged by earth movement in the wastewater system. A programme to repair any problems found will follow.

“Blockages are a serious problem - it’s something we need to look out for on a regular basis.

“Also, please don’t flush wet wipes down the toilet - they cause blockages because they don’t break down naturally. Don’t put oil or fat down the sink either - it can accumulate into ‘fatbergs’ which block the pipes.”