You could not blame the Central Otago District Council if it got its knickers in a twist over two separate wastewater blockage incidents this week.

Central Otago District Council water services staff extracted two pairs of underpants from the Eureka St pump station in Alexandra, and then had to respond to a wastewater overflow on Thursday under the Alexandra Bridge.

Caused by debris, the clean-up was successful near the start of the Roxburgh Gorge Trail and it did not reach the waterway of the Clutha River/Mata-au. 

The Otago Regional Council was also notified of the incident.

Going into the Christmas holiday period it was timely reminder of the 3P’s - only pee, poo and paper should be flushed down the toilet.

Council’s wastewater pump stations can get blocked by all manner of things – wipes, sanitary products and nappies, and this was the second time this year underwear was the culprit.

In July, underwear caused a system blockage on two separate occasions in one month - costing time and ratepayer money.

Wastewater operators said that 90 percent of the blockages at the Eureka pump station were caused by clothing of some description, and more often than not, it was underwear.