News

A block of butter, an apple, clothes pegs, a pen, a dog bowl, a pair of scissors and a screwdriver, no this isn’t a shopping list, but actually a list of some of the odd items recently found in sewers across the Severn Trent region.

Severn Trent’s sewer blockages lead, Grant Mitchell, explains: “Over the last few months we’ve been really puzzled by some of the items that have appeared at our treatment works and can’t help but wonder what people were thinking! We can’t stress enough how important it is to only flush the three P’s (pee, poo and toilet paper) down the toilet - anything else needs to go into the bin. 

“The drains that take waste water away from homes are only a few inches wide and unflushable items such as sanitary products, wipes, or in this case food and household objects, can easily cause a big blockage which isn’t something anyone would wish to experience, especially when it’s entirely preventable.”

Severn Trent has found plenty of other unusual things in the sewers that shouldn’t be there in the past, including, false teeth, toys, tennis balls, cutlery and even a motorbike broken down into parts. 

Grant added: “Many customers may not realise that they are responsible for the waste pipe running away from their home until it either crosses the property boundary or meets with another waste pipe or sewer. Unblocking or repairing this section of pipe can be costly, but avoidable if you’re careful about what you put down your toilet or your sink. So we’d really encourage people to think before they flush!”   

If you do run into problems, either slow drains or a blocked sewer which is Severn Trent’s responsibility you can report it at www.stwater.co.uk or by calling 0800 783 4444.