Express & Star

Severn Trent in plea as firm attends 3,000 reports of sewer flooding or blockages in last fortnight

Severn Trent Water has tackled thousands of call outs within a fortnight to unplug blocked drains and sewers across the region.

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Kitchen roll blamed for blockage

Insoluble kitchen roll and wet wipes being flushed down the toilet are among the main items being blamed for the problems.

The company said it received more than 3,000 reports of sewer flooding and blockages in the last two weeks and has seen a rise in blockages caused by kitchen tissue.

Severn Trent’s sewer blockages lead, Grant Mitchell says: “We know just how worrying it is for everyone at the moment and we want to reassure our customers that we’re working really hard to keep our essential service running.

“In the last two weeks we’ve dealt with over 3,000 reports of sewer flooding or sewer blockages in our area which is much busier than normal. And we’re seeing more and more blockages caused by kitchen roll and wipes.

"We know that some people are having to resort to using a whole manner of things to substitute for toilet roll at the moment, but a sewer blockage is the last thing that anyone needs right now.

"So we wanted to let everyone know that kitchen roll and wipes are not designed to break down like loo roll is so please remember to bin them otherwise you could end up blocking your sewer pipes.

Kitchen roll blamed for blockage

“On top of doing one of the most mucky jobs out there, our teams are getting asked why they’re out and about a lot at the moment, but we want to reassure everyone they are only doing work that is essential.

"If more and more sewers need unblocking, they need to be out more, so please be understanding, as no-one really wants to dig out mess, kitchen roll and wipes.

“But all of this can easily be avoided, so if you do need to use something other than toilet roll just remember to pop it in the bin and not the toilet.”

Slow drains and blocked sewers should be reported via www.stwater.co.uk or by phoning 0800 783 4444.

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