North East Water operations executive John Day said there had also been a rise in the number of backyard blockages in Wangaratta and Wodonga, plus a rise in the number of people reporting sewage returning into their home because of a blocked pipe.

He said when items other than the three Ps (poo, pee and paper) were flushed it could lead not just to blockages in the sewerage network but also in household pipes, which could cost homeowners thousands to fix.

"There's definitely been a rise in the amount of solids coming down that aren't the three Ps and a lot appears to be baby wipe-style items, that seems to be the main thing coming down," he said

"We've also seen a real rise in blockages in people's backyards at the connection point (to our system)."

In March, Australia had a surge in toilet paper sales as residents panic bought and stockpiled many household staples.

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The increase resulted in bare shelves across the country including on the Border, with many people struggling to buy toilet paper and major supermarkets implementing product limits.

Although purchase limits were lifted once panic buying subsided, Coles reintroduce limits in June when the Melbourne lockdown resulted in a further rush of sales across Victoria.

But north-east Victorians' resourcefulness during the bare shelf period might have ave resulted in thousands of dollars of damage to their household pipes and to the wider North East Water system.

North East Water has urged Rutherglen and Wahgunyah customers, as well as those in Wangaratta and Wodonga, not to flush wet wipes or personal hygiene products down the toilet following a rise in sewer blockages.

A recent blockage of the Rutherglen treatment plant's screen took staff several hours to remove and even required the use of a power-saw.

North East Water customer and culture executive Marni Jones said items such as wipes or sanitary produces did not break down like toilet paper and clogged systems by accumulating and causing obstructions.