A family of four has been evacuated and an adult learning centre destroyed following a major sewage flood in a block of public housing units in North Melbourne.

A rogue tree root ruptured a critical pipe connected to the building on Alfred Street about 9am on Sunday.

Raw sewage began emerging from a family's shower drain in what would become a mammoth clean-up effort by emergency services, including the State Emergency Service, Victoria Police and the Metropolitan Fire Brigade.

A sewage flood in North Melbourne saw a four-hour collaborative effort between emergency workers. Credit:Luis Ascui

The level-one flat quickly became inundated with sewage that seeped through the floor to reach the adult learning centre on the ground floor.