Yorkshire Water has issued a warning about the risks of blocked drains and sewer overflows over the festive period
A collection of bizarre items found in Yorkshire’s drains are being used to warn people not to flush waste this Christmas season. Yorkshire Water has issued a gallery of unusual finds in its sewers.
The water company’s customer field services team is said to be working around the clock during the holiday – tending to blocked drains, sewer overflows and removing objects causing an issue. People have been urged only to flush poo, wee and toilet paper down their toilets in order to avoid issues.
The effort is part of Yorkshire Water’s ‘Bin it don’t block it’ campaign. And bosses have said all they want for Christmas is blockage-free holiday.
Joe Sykes, wastewater regional operations manager, Yorkshire Water, said: “Blockages can cause sewers and drains to back up and spill into homes and gardens. However, over 40% of all blockages in the Yorkshire region can be traced back to the wrong items being washed down the sink or flushed down the toilet. The damage, repairs and clean-up operation can be very costly, and with over 20,000 miles of pipework across the region, sticking to the 3-Ps can save a lot of money and distress.
“We want everyone to have a very merry Christmas and sticking to the three-Ps of only paper, pee or poo going down the loo can help to stop serious blockages, damage property, the environment and cost a lot of money to fix. Keeping wipes, cotton buds, food, Fats, Oils and Grease out of sinks, sewers and toilets will really help prevent blockages.”
“The team is on call 24/7 throughout the holiday period but to keep the only jackets at your door red, with a white trim and not an orange high vis, please follow the 3-Ps and Bin it, don’t block it!
A crushed drone was caught in the screens at Scalby Mills, Scarborough.
Yorkshire Water’s team came upon a chicken bucket – though not the appetising kind. They joked: “The toilet is not a bin, food goes in food waste disposal, we look after the outbound part of the digestive system!”
A shopping basked was among items found in the region’s sewers.
Wet wipes are a major cause of blockages.
Yorkshire Water has also warned of the spike in blockages caused by fats, oils and grease. This is particularly an issue when it comes to festive cooking as people dispose of liquid fats that later coagulate in sewers.
Yorkshire Water says it spends hundreds of thousands of pounds per year on responses to such blockages. More than 2250 jobs are raised per year on related blockages. The company has urged people to allow fats to cool, wipe away with a kitchen towel and throw in the bin.