It’s a homeowner’s worst nightmare: raw sewage, complete with visible toilet paper and other contaminants, has surged through properties in a popular Fremantle precinct, turning living spaces into putrid, blackwater-filled hazards.
This disgusting inundation has not only forced residents from their homes but has also reignited furious debate over Western Australia’s failing and antiquated water infrastructure.
The revolting deluge, which engulfed houses and backyards on and around Essex Street on Sunday, has been blamed by authorities on a monstrous “fatberg” near the local markets.
A fatberg is a massive, rock-like blockage found in sewer systems, formed when fats, oils, and grease combine with non-biodegradable items like wet wipes.
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In this instance, the blockage created immense pressure within the pipe network, leading to the catastrophic overflow that has left a trail of contamination, despair, and significant health concerns.
Residents in parts of a popular port city have been forced out of their properties by a flood of raw sewage. Source: 7NEWS
“It’s horrific and there was a state of panic,” local resident Frank Van de Ven told 7NEWS.
He added he went outside “to see effluent just pouring out of the drain in the backyard”.
“(It was) filling up our veranda area with blackwater. It had some contaminants in it. You could see toilet paper,” he said.
“It was coming out at a rate of knots.”
Frank Van de Ven’s home was impacted by the ‘horrific’ flood. Source: 7NEWS
Residents have resorted to desperate measures, taping up toilets, doors, and floors, and deploying dehumidifiers in a frantic effort to mitigate the damage and pervasive stench.
One family, unable to remain in their contaminated home, has been forced to relocate to a hotel, facing an indefinite wait until their property can be professionally cleaned and deemed safe for habitation.
Water Corporation crews were still engaged in extensive clean-up operations as of Wednesday, battling the pervasive stench and health hazards.
A resident’s backyard was covered in poo. Source: 7NEWS
However, for many in the community, this is not an isolated incident but a recurring nightmare that speaks to a deeper, systemic problem.
Diane Monk, practice manager for a nearby psychiatrist, understands the profound disruption and financial burden these events cause all too well.
Her practice endured a similar ordeal in 2025 when a sewage leak forced a month-long closure.
“We had a sewage leak that went right down to the basement – it was astronomical,” Monk told 7NEWS, noting the water reached “about 2.5 inches high.”
She labelled the current situation “ridiculous” and emphatically stated that “something needs to be done.”
Residents have taped up toilets, doors and floors and brought in dehumidifiers. Source: 7NEWS
The problem extends beyond Fremantle.
In 2025, residents in Spearwood, another Perth southern suburb, faced similar devastation when a burst pipe unleashed an odorous spill of excrement into streets and parks, further eroding public confidence in the state’s water management.
Opposition water spokesperson Peter Rundle voiced the growing public frustration, questioning the state government’s priorities.
“I’m quite concerned about the trend that’s evolving here,” he stated.
“The state government’s got a $3.5 billion surplus. Why isn’t that money being spent on maintenance for our sewerage and water infrastructure?”
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