A number of homes off the Lisburn Road were flooded following heavy rain as the drains were blocked by baby wipes and grease.
Belfast City Council and NI Water were called to Great Northern Street in South Belfast shortly after 5pm on Tuesday, May 18, after water and sewage entered a number of properties after drains overflowed in heavy rain.
Sandbags were provided to the residents to try and keep the water at bay, although it still managed to enter some of the houses.
Read more: Homes flood following heavy rain in Belfast
NI Water have now revealed that the flooding was caused by a blockage in the combined sewer which is believed to have been caused by baby wipes and grease.
A NI Water spokesperson said: "NI Water are aware of external flooding and attended one property at Great Northern Street, Belfast last night following heavy rainfall across Northern Ireland.
“A blockage, of what was believed to be baby wipes and grease, was identified in a combined sewer in a rear laneway.
“NI Water would like to remind customers to be mindful of their flushing habits. Items such as baby wipes and sanitary products are often the cause of out of sewer flooding which can be avoided by only flushing the 3Ps - pee, poo and toilet paper; everything else needs to go in the bin.”
Botanic SDLP councillor Gary McKeown said he was alerted by residents to the flooding, as water started to come in through the rear of their properties and praised the response by agencies who helped remove the water.
He said: "Following the heavy rain on Tuesday evening, some of the drains in the alley behind a few homes on Great Northern Street overflowed causing water to enter their homes.
"While some of the properties manage to keep the water at bay, there were issues with sewage entering the houses that were unable to.
"Thankfully the council and NI Water came to the area very quickly and were able to supply the homes with sandbags and eventually clear the water away."
The councillor said that more work and investment is needed to ensure the drains and sewage systems in South Belfast are cleared.
Read more: Residents call South Belfast apartments '£6.6m crack den'
Read more: Parts of Northern Ireland experience flooding amid Met Office weather warning
To get the latest breaking news straight to your inbox, sign up to our free newsletter.
