News

As the Easter break gets closer, we're asking our eight million customers to be egg-ceptionally kind to the 94,000km of sewer pipes that take away the Midlands’ waste.

Sewer blockages strategy lead, Grant Mitchell, explains: “Easter is often a time when families get together and celebrate over a meal.  So, if you’re sitting down to a traditional roast lamb lunch for example, don’t forget to scrape pots, pans and plates into the bin, before washing up.  And always leave leftover cooking oil to cool, before throwing it away.

“And, if your little ‘uns have got mucky from their chocolate Easter eggs, put the wet wipes, if that’s what you’ve used to clean them up, into the bin, not down the loo.”

We clear around 45,000 sewer blockages each year - and these can happen more often during holiday periods, like Easter.

Around 70% of blockages are caused by the wrong things being put down the sink and toilet. Things like fats, oils, and grease (commonly known as FOG) being rinsed down the sink with the washing up or sanitary products like wet wipes, being flushed down the toilet.

When these items enter the sewer network, they can often form congealed lumps – called fatbergs, that block the pipes ­– leading to sewers overflowing and potentially causing damage to homes and the environment.

Grant added: “While many people will be tucking into their Easter eggs, we’ll have people in our call centres and field teams ready to fix burst pipes and clear sewer blockages. So if you have an urgent water or sewage issue at any time, especially over the Bank Holiday weekend, we’ll be here, ready to deal with it.  Please tweet us @stwater or give us a call on 0800 783 4444 and we'll be happy to help."

For more information on how to avoid nasty blockages over the Easter holidays and beyond, visit our sewer blockages advice pages on https://www.stwater.co.uk/my-supply/pipes-and-drains/help-with-pipes/avoiding-blockages/.