The shortage of toilet paper as a result of coronavirus panic-buying has been blamed after a record fatberg was pulled from Mackay's sewerage network.
It has taken two separate operations to remove the more than 3-tonne mass, made up of flushable wipes, clothing, plastic, and other items from a pump station in the city.
The blockage was so big a crane, hydraulic grappler, and large vacuum tanker were needed, and they they only removed the "tip of the berg", according to engineers.
Senior network engineer Keith Hyatt said the size of the berg was a serious concern.
"The use of alternatives to toilet paper is definitely a factor in what we've seen," he said.
"It's the potential for environmental harm and risk to public health, and it's compounded here, because it's the end of the line before the treatment plant."
Mr Hyatt said the problem was not new, with council clearing more than 600 chokes in the network each year at a cost of more than $250,000.
He said only the three Ps should be flushed down the toilet — pee, poo and (toilet) paper.
"The wet wipe flushables are a marketing term — they do not break down. They stay in the same shape and have the potential to cause blockages and overflows," Mr Hyatt said.
"And it's a problem for households too as those items can block internal pipework and cause overflows into backyards."
The second round of removal was not as large as first thought, with the mass being broken up by the grapple and then weekend rain flushing it through the system.
But a number of worrying items were found including syringes, a colostomy bag, bouncy balls, and even parts of a baby bottle.
Mr Hyatt said public attitude about flushing items needed to change.
"It costs a lot of money to clear this and it's literally money being flushed down the toilet," he said.
"That could be used for things like parks, cycleways or other projects.
"People would be shocked, and it's gross, and we hope people recognise what happens when you flush things down the toilet that should go elsewhere."
