Families in Stoke-on-Trent were given the chance to have a front row seat to find out more about Severn Trent and the work it does at its Strongford Sewage Treatment Works. 

The water and waste company’s Education and Operations team played host to an informative session that all ages could get involved with.   

Visitors were given the chance to tour the site, learn how teams deal with everything that gets flushed down the toilet, how wastewater is treated and cleaned before being released back into the environment.  

Along with the tour, the event also had the Wonderful Water Tour buses for youngsters, where they could have a go at repairing pipes, unblocking the smelly sewers and take part in some virtual reality too.  

Maxine Smith, Senior Education Officer at Severn Trent, said: “The event at our Strongford site was a huge success and we want to thank everyone who came along to find out more about Severn Trent’s work. 

“This was our first tour that we hosted at Strongford and we will be looking to host more in the future as everyone who attended found it informative and fun.” 

The special session was also a chance to encourage customers to think about what they put down their sinks and toilets, as unflushable items and fats, oils and grease can cause horrible blockages and lead to flooding in customers’ homes.  

Customers in Stoke-on-Trent are being encouraged to ‘be a binner, not a blocker’ when it comes to unflushable items. 

Severn Trent managed to clear a staggering 28,782 blockages last year alone which could’ve been avoided if incorrect items were not put down the toilet and sink. It has also successfully prevented over 18 million litres of fats, oil and grease from entering the sewers through their community interventions. 

The water and waste company has now shared some advice on ways customers can protect their home:    

In the kitchen:     

• Use kitchen roll to soak up grease from plates and pans before washing up       

• Collect used cooking oil, fat and grease into a container, jar or tin and put it in the bin once cool       

Aside from in the kitchen, make sure to keep a bin in your bathroom for all unflushable items, like wipes, sanitary products and cotton buds and only flush the 3Ps - pee, poo, and (toilet) paper- down the toilet.   

Severn Trent’s Education Team recently announced it was branching out and offering its free and informative workshops to community groups and organisations. 

The team has successfully been delivering sessions to young people across the water company’s region for many years, providing a whole host of information about the company and the work that it does. 

But things are changing from April, and the team will be combining its work in schools with getting into the community and speaking to customers directly about Severn Trent’s operations work and treatment processes.  

For further details on Severn Trent’s Education Team, visit www.stwater.co.uk/education     

For more information on blockages and how get your home prepared for the holidays visit www.stwater.co.uk/avoidblockages.