Fatboy Trims barber shop’s Lee George (left) and Fluid Plumbing’s Lee Wild were ready to lend a hand to help battle the overflowing sewage along Gawler’s Whitelaw Terrace on Friday.
GAWLER’S Whitelaw Terrace was coloured in different shades of the proverbial on Friday, after a blocked drain sent sewage spewing into the street for more than 12 hours.
At around 9.30am, shop owners and pedestrians across from the toilet block at Apex Park noticed what they initially suspected was water billowing out of a vent on the footpath.
However, the accompanying smell and visible pieces of toilet paper quickly made them realise it was sewage seeping up from under the surface.
SA Water advised the blockage was likely caused by someone washing bitumen down into the network, and that the problem wasn’t resolved until later that night.
“Due to the complexity of the blockage, multiple crews were required and worked together to clear the bitumen by around 10.30pm, while also arranging cleaners and street sweepers to attend during the evening,” an SA Water spokesperson said.
“Further works may be performed by our crews to ensure there are no other signs of rubble entering the network from a third party, by conducting CCTV inspection of the entire section of sewer main.”
Fatboy Trims owner Lee George said it took Gawler Council staff around an hour to respond from the time the waste began flowing onto the street, just metres up the road from his barber shop.
“One of our customers said the sewerage pipe had broken, and then we opened the door to have a look and that’s when we were hit with the disgusting stench,” he said.
“The response from Gawler Council was poor, they, as a whole, should’ve been here a lot quicker as it’s a health issue.”
Gawler mayor Karen Redman contested the timeframe, saying council staff “attended within 30 minutes of becoming aware of this issue and made contact with SA Water, the body responsible for
managing sewage issues, seeking their immediate assistance”.
“SA Water undertake these works in accordance with relevant legislation, environmental and public health responsibilities,” she said.
“Council staff will be liaising with SA Water to ensure any cleanup works are attended to appropriately.”
The sewage saga comes in the same week that SA Water launched a ‘Healthy Sewers’ campaign aiming to raise awareness about how the public can help prevent unwanted materials from entering the sewer network.
For more information about the initiative, visit sawater.com.au
