When raw sewage started backing up into their house, a Berryfields homeowner discovered that flushing wet wipes is not a good thing and is an expensive mistake.
The residents were new owners of the property, and documentation about how their on-site pressure sewage system functions wasn’t handed over when they took possession of the house.
On-site pressure wastewater systems are now common in most new subdivisions across Tasman District including Wakefield, Māpua, Richmond South and Richmond West.
They differ from conventional gravity systems and depend on a pump to remove the wastewater from the property into our wastewater reticulation in the street.
In this case, the blockage was so bad that the contents had to be cleared by hand before a commercial sucker truck was called in to remove the entanglement of wet wipes and sewage.
Clearing the blockage and cleaning out the pump cost the homeowner several hundred dollars.
If you have a pressure wastewater system at your place but don’t have the instructions, you can pick up a brochure from one of our service centres or download it from our website. Check out this page(external link), and scroll down to ‘pressure wastewater systems’.
Meanwhile, wet wipes and fat flushed into the sewer system caused major problems in Motueka late last month prompting a boil water notice for bore water users and a shellfish collection ban in Motueka Estuary.
Remember only the three P’s – poo, pee and paper – can go down the loo.