CLUMPS of wipes around the same weight as a Range Rover are pulled from sewers every week says Servern Trent.
The water company revealed around two and a half tonnes of wipes and other items which shouldn’t be flushed were found weekly in systems in every town.
Spokesman Gareth Mead said: “Wipes are one of the biggest problems we’re dealing with at the moment They’re everywhere these days – baby wipes, floor wipes, face wipes – and people simply don’t think before dropping them into the toilet. The problem is that unlike toilet paper, wipes don’t break up or dissolve, so they easily get stuck in drains and sewers and cause blockages.
“These full skips are the result of everyone flushing just one wipe here and there, and not realising the impact that it’s having. Our advice is to stick to flushing the three P’s (pee, pooh and toilet paper) and bin anything else. These relatively small changes will make a big difference and hopefully avoid any future blockages.”
The company said in the last year alone it has been called out to thousands of blockages across the region, of which three quarters were caused by people misusing the sewer system and flushing things like wipes.
Gareth added: “Many customers may not realise that they are responsible for the waste pipe running away from their home up until it either crosses the property boundary or meets with another waste pipe or sewer. It doesn’t take much to cause a blockage and unblocking or repairing this section of pipe can be costly, but it’s completely avoidable if you’re careful about what you put down your toilet and bin any unflushables.”
Slow drains or a blocked sewers can be reported at www.stwater.co.uk or by calling 0800 783 4444.
