Blockages add pressure to key workers

Sewers are blocking at an unprecedented rate as households flush alternatives to toilet paper, forcing workers to deal with increased flooding incidents while staffing levels are under pressure.

Blockages removed from sewers that ordinarily take months to build up have formed in a matter of weeks as households seek alternatives to toilet paper after shortages in stores.

Kitchen roll, wet wipes and newspapers caused problems in pipes and sewers and forced water companies across England and Wales to remind customers to dispose of these in a bin only.

Engineers at Thames Water’s Beddington sewage works in Croydon removed three large blockages from the inlet filter screens over three weeks, which would usually take two to three months to build up.

Panic buying of loo roll saw the shelves stripped and forced people to turn to alternatives. Wessex Water reported an increase in calls and enquires from customers asking what it was safe to flush.

Severn Trent’s sewer blockages lead Grant Mitchell said the company dealt with more than 3000 reports of sewer flooding and blockages in the past two weeks largely caused to increased amounts of kitchen roll being flushed.

He said the staff working to clear these blockages have also been asked by the public why they are still out during the lockdown.

“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,” Mitchell said and urged people not to cause unnecessary clogs.

Blockages causing drains, roads or even homes to flood take time up for wastewater and sewerage workers, who were granted key worker status by the government amid the coronavirus lockdown.