A smelly job made better because of our people

*Names have been removed from this post to ensure anonymity as this post was for internal purposes only.

For [name], optimising and getting the best out of the wastewater we treat and the

plants we manage makes up a lot of what he does.

Based in the central and southeast wastewater treatment operational areas, no two days are ever the same when the area he works in stretches from the Adelaide Hills to Normanville and Naracoorte to Port Macdonnell.

There is one thing that currently remains the same for [name], people flushing stuff down the toilet that they shouldn’t, making the job he and our field teams do harder than it needs to be.

“Whatever gets flushed down the toilet ends up at our screening process and I’ve seen

plastic space men, bed sheets, tennis balls, undies - you name, we get it - and sometimes even money comes out of the screens,” [name] said.

“Plastic money was the best invention ever for pipes because it doesn’t get torn apart like the paper notes did.”

According to [name] the most horrific stuff they see is rag, usually consisting of ‘flushable’ wet wipes. Hair mixed with grease and fat causes the most issues entangling itself around just about everything it touches, such as pipes and cables, choking pumps in our networks and treatment plants.

“Hair is so fine it goes through the screens which can be anywhere between about 3-7mm and it acts as a source of entanglement which just keeps growing because it grabs stuff along the way,” [name] said.

“For instance, when it comes out through the screens and we drain the aeration basins at plants like Port Pirie and Whyalla, it’s so wet and heavy that we have to use cranes to lift it out because the slop weighs a tonne and there's so much of it.

“The Field teams have it worse, imagine having to fix a choke at 2am in the morning covered in cockroaches and removing metres and metres of that foul smelling stuff, it’s horrific.

“But they’re great people, and they do it all without fuss because of their connection to their work and the people who live in the towns they service.”

Thankfully, there is an upside to all the gross stuff, the people [name] works with are the “best in the business” with an incredible knowledge base and a collaborative effort to share that knowledge.

“I’ve got the best job around, I’m very lucky to work all over the state with different people and teams and everyone is down to earth, work well together and are incredibly supportive of me and one another.”

It is that supportive environment that [name] has valued over the years, taking advantage of the support crew when he needed it most, and now paying it forward as a support crew member himself.

“When I first started in 1989 mental health was quickly brushed aside and seen as a

weakness, but there has been a big shift in the last ten years to look after our people,” [name] said.

“[name] and her team have really grown the mental health space for our business

and made a big shift to looking after our people with education, understanding and support.

“I’ve seen that flow through to our wider leadership team and they’re making sure all our teams are looked after.”

One of the many ways [name] is championing support and mental health in our business is through being an advocate for the Pride Together network throughout our organisation.

“As a middle aged straight white guy, I’m about as ‘average’ as it gets, getting to meet

different people every day from all walks of life just reinforces what I was brought up to

believe.”

“For me, irrespective of age, race, gender, who you love doesn't matter to me and I don't

understand why it would matter to anyone else, but that’s the way I think, and not everyone feels the same way.

“The rainbow community has always accepted me for who I am so it saddens me to know they can feel scared or judged, so I will always be around for a chat if they or anyone else needs it.

“I’d hate to think people felt like they had nowhere to go when life got hard, I will always

make myself available for a chat and hopefully do my best to make people feel safe and

secure.”

Like [name], you can Wear it Purple on Friday 26 August by donning a shirt, scarf, stockings, shoelaces or whatever you have that’s purple, to show your support for our LGBTQA+ community.

Don’t forget, if you or anyone you know are struggling you can reach our to our Support

Crew or our EAP service for a private chat to get the support you need.

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