What are we doing to reduce FOG and blockages?
You may flush the loo or fill the sink without a second thought, but these moments have the power to help – or harm – the environment. In the first of a three-part series, discover how we’re spreading the word about the ways you can help keep our sewers flowing, and protect our coasts and people’s homes.
Home and away
You may think what people get up to in their own homes is a private matter. But imagine if what your neighbour flushed ended up in your living room. Would that make you feel differently?
Sadly, that happens to 300,000 homes a year in the UK. When people put the wrong things down the drain, sewers can become blocked or damaged. With nowhere else to go, wastewater can back-up into people’s homes or overspill into streets, fields and waterways.
Shaking things up in lockdown
Our people take any opportunity to talk to our customers about how they can help us protect our sewers, surroundings and seas from the impact of blockages. So, when the pandemic struck and England went into lockdown, we had to think fast. How could we keep fighting blockages while working from home?
Four colleagues hit the phonelines to talk to customers about blockages in their areas. Together, the team went through a log of suspected blockages. They called over 800 customers to get to the bottom of what was happening and put plans in place to solve the problem.
Taking to the streets to tackle hotspots
After restrictions were relaxed, the team leapt at the chance to get back into the community. To make up for lost time, we wanted our efforts to have the biggest impact. We studied the data on past sewer blockages and flooding incidents and used this to pinpoint a hitlist of hotspots to target first.
Throughout 2021–22, we visited these hotspots one-by-one. In each town and city, we scoured the sewers and spoke to people about how they could help us keep them flowing freely. While one crew opened sewer covers to survey and clean the sewers, another went door-to-door to explain how people’s habits can help us keep the sewers flowing freely and protect homes and the environment.
What we found underground
Over the past couple of years, we have identified 22-25,000 blockages in the sewers. What we found down there may shock you, yet the causes were no surprise to us – 70% were made up of things people had put down their sinks and toilets
- Toilet trouble – most of the blockages were caused by things people had flushed down the loo, such as wet wipes, period products, cotton buds, dental floss and condoms. That’s why we call them unflushables. Even products labelled ‘flushable’ often contain hidden plastic, which means they don’t break apart in the sewers. Instead, they can get stuck and cause problems for homes and the environment. That’s why we ask people to only flush the three Ps – pee, poo and paper. Everything else goes in the bin.
- Kitchen capers – the second biggest cause was fat, oil and grease (FOG). Most cooking involves FOG, but if they’re washed down the sink, they build-up on the inside of pipes and restrict the flow. Have you heard people mention fatbergs? They start with what goes down people’s sinks – and they’re growing fast as the population rises and more food outlets open their doors. Here’s how to keep FOG out of your drains.
Although a small number of blockages were caused by things like tree roots and grit that had entered the sewers, most were due to people’s daily habits. That’s why we’re trying to spread the word about how people can do their bit.
Homes are one thing – what about food outlets?
As you’ve heard, people’s habits at home can have a big impact. Yet food outlets use buckets more FOG each day – and they’re growing in number. How can we enjoy food from across the globe, without blockages harming the natural world? Find out in part two, which explores how we’re keeping food businesses going and sewers flowing.