Wessex Water campaign almost halves sewer blockage rates

Wessex Water has almost halved sewer blockage rates in Salisbury following a campaign in the area.

The number of sewer blockages in December – the first month after the campaign – fell to 55 per cent of the long-term average and was the lowest number of blockages for in the city for 52 months.

The campaign used “social nudging” to inform customers that wet wipes are not flushable and can cause blockages and sewer flooding. Following the campaign, the use of wet wipes in the city fell by 10 per cent.

This came after Wessex Water spent £5 million to resolve 13,000 sewer blockages in its region last year, with Salisbury having the highest number of blockages in the company’s region.

Wessex Water is now looking to target another area with a similar campaign and it is confident the campaign “had an impact”.

The company’s head of wastewater strategy Matt Wheeldon said: “We wanted to roll out an initiative that was effective and proved value for money for our customers.

“It was about reducing our operational costs spent on clearing blockages while at the same time not forking out on a large marketing campaign which couldn’t be sustained over the longer term.”

He added: “Using our staff, who know the problem all too well, proved extremely effective and the message has been shared among a number of community groups.

“However, there is much work that still needs to be done at a national level to raise awareness of the problems caused, particularly by wet wipes, and the risk posed to people’s homes and the environment.”