Morphett Vale retains unwanted wet wipe title

For the second year in a row, Morphett Vale has recorded the highest number of sewer blockages caused by wet wipes, with SA Water today revealing local residents’ flushing habits led to 37 incidents during the past 12 months.

Located in the city’s south, Morphett Vale recorded more than double the figures for both Adelaide CBD and Elizabeth Downs, who came in second and third place respectively, with the top 10 list rounded out by Happy Valley, Ingle Farm, Magill, Redwood Park, Henley Beach, Prospect and Windsor Gardens.

SA Water’s Senior Manager of Infrastructure Planning and Strategy Dr Daniel Hoefel said even though the top 10 suburbs were collectively responsible for 153 blockages, there is a silver lining behind the numbers.

“The collective total for this year’s suburbs is only half the figure recorded during 2021-22, so we’re pleased to see Adelaideians are becoming more conscious of the impact they have on the sewer network,” Daniel said.

“Unlike toilet paper, which breaks down in around 30 seconds, wet wipes contain multiple layers of woven fibre and are designed not to disintegrate, causing them to clump together and block the flow of sewage.

“Concerningly, if we look at Adelaide’s total of 1,155 blockages across the past 12 months, two-thirds of these occurred at the property’s connection, which increases the risk of an overflow inside the house, and trust me, nobody wants to experience this!

“Luckily, the solution is ever-so simple and all you need to remember is to only flush the three Ps – toilet paper, pee and poo – and put everything else in the bin to help protect your pipes and our sewers.

“Although Morphett Vale is Adelaide’s largest suburb – which may be influencing their dominance at the top of last year’s list – there’s clearly still an opportunity for change at the dunny, so we encourage our customers here and across the state to be mindful of what goes down your toilet and drains.”

There was a bit of movement in the top 10, including some newcomers this year, with suburbs such as Happy Valley, Henley Beach and Prospect making their unwanted debuts.

“On the other hand, residents in some of the north-eastern suburbs – Campbelltown, Hillcrest and Rostrevor – seem to have taken the previous year’s inclusion personally, and have kept themselves out of the top 10,” Daniel said.

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