Halloween fright in Napier’s pipes – the rag monster lurking underneath city streets

This rag monster was found in the Napier wastewater system. Photo / Napier City Council

Halloween is here, but the scariest monster in Napier has been lurking underground all this time.

The “rag monster” was found by Napier City Council workers in its wastewater network this month while work was being done on updating the system.

Rag monsters are made up of wet wipes, sanitary items, clothing, floss, hair, paper towels, wood, and fats or oils and are usually found when wastewater pumps clog and pipes block or overflow.

The costly clogs can block pipes and damage pumps. They are especially common after heavy rain and, on average, Napier council staff expect to find 30 blockages a month. The city spends roughly $200,000 a year getting rid of them.

”We encourage people to throw wipes and other non-flushables in the waste bin instead of the toilet,” a Napier council spokeswoman said.

”Worst-case scenario is this can cause sewage to back up into homes and streets, and pollute waterways, posing health and environmental risks.

”This is why it’s really important that we are proactive in trying to prevent these issues by conducting regular maintenance to keep the wastewater system running smoothly.”

A council worker tasked with confronting rag monsters says cleaning out the clogs is hard and messy work.

”It can happen at any time, and it makes our job much tougher. It is frustrating because it could be easily avoided if people didn’t flush the wrong things. Please only pee, poo and toilet paper down the loo.”

Small clogs can form in days, but larger rag monsters may take months to create as wipes, grease, and other items pile up.

Individual “rag monsters” cost between $500 and $1000 to clear.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.