Sewage leak leads to Adelaide building evacuation

Overflowing sewage has caused the evacuation of 1200 staff from a major city building as five floors were soaked in a putrid mess.

Staff on the tenth and eleventh floors of Telstra House on Pirie St, Adelaide, Australia, were moved out of the building just after 9am after reports of a sewage block.

The major sewer pipe problem caused the blockage of other drains in kitchens and throughout the building and the entire building was closed just after 10am.


Water from Telstra House's blocked toilet falls like rain down the side of the building.

Police were called to manage traffic as Telstra's 1200 staff from all 23 floors, including a number of mobility-impaired staff, were evacuated.

SES central regional commander Derren Halleday said five floors had been soaked in effluent several centimetres deep.

"There has been a major plumbing failure within the building which caused potentially effluent-laden water to flood across five floors," he said.