A big clean-up is underway after a sinkhole caused mass flooding of sewage, creating a “moat of sh*t” around homes and businesses.
The foul scene greeted Adelaide woman Caitlin Penny when she returned to her Camden Park home from the shops Wednesday about 10am.
“It was a literal sh*t storm,” the hairdresser told The Advertiser.
The 29-year-old didn’t initially realise the half a metre of liquid she was wading through was faeces, telling the publication she walked through the mess because her dog was “swimming in it”.
“I thought I left a tap running … I realised what it was when I stepped on one of them [a poo],” she said.
After showering and washing her dog, Ms Penny put in a call to South Australia Water to switch her water off.
A crew tasked with the clean up were due to arrive Thursday morning, she added.
Graphic footage showed a dog running through an unsightly pool of brown liquid that was spewing out of a drain in the middle of Mooringe Avenue.
Glenn Forbes’ business Plympton Crash Repairs was also affected by what Ms Penny described a “literal sh*t storm”, which he said unfolded about 9.30am Wednesday.
He told the publication “there was sh*t and p*ss everywhere” which “spewed onto the street”.
The sewage completely flooded Mr Forbes’ workshop, he said.
The area has seemingly become a hotspot for sinkholes, with one opening up eight months ago and another about eight years ago.
SA Water arrived about 3pm and were “fully apologetic”, he added, with the clean-up expected to take up to three days.
A spokesperson told news.com.au its crews were working to repair a “complex sewer main break” and were in the process of “carefully excavating to expose the impacted section of pipe”.
“Our crews first arrived on-site at 11.40am yesterday and immediately worked to ensure the area remained safe by disinfecting all affected areas including the footpath and road, and using specialised equipment to remove all sewage material,” they said.
“Three properties were impacted by sewage overflows as a result of the incident, and we are continuing to provide support to residents – including arranging cleaners to return their properties to the state they were in before this incident and covering any out-of-pocket expenses.”
A vacuum truck and cleaners were deployed to the properties on Wednesday and would return on Thursday to continue the clean-up and disinfection.
“Once our crews have completed pipe repairs, they will work to reinstate the road surface.
Due to the proximity of the impacted sewer main to a nearby water main, mains-supplied water is temporarily interrupted to nearby properties, with our Community Support team providing these customers with an interim supply of drinking water,” SA Water said.
“In addition, we have also provided three water tankers to maintain supply to several local businesses. At this stage, we expect customers’ normal water supply to be restored later this evening.”
SA Water has established road detours and apologised to the community for the inconvenience.
“Due to the challenging conditions on-site, such as persistent rainfall and the depth of the sewer main, we expect this section of Mooringe Avenue to remain closed until tomorrow,” they said.
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The exact cause of the incident was yet to be identified, they added.
“Once the sewer main has been repaired, we will undertake CCTV inspections of the pipe to understand its condition and determine if there are any blockages.”
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