South West Water Urges Customers to Help Prevent Sewer Blockages This Unblocktober

Hidden beneath the streets of the South West, sewer monsters are forming every day – and South West Water is calling on customers to help stop them.

When fats, oils and greases (FOGs) mix with items like wet wipes, sanitary products and food waste, they can create stubborn blockages that grow into giant, concrete-like fatbergs. These blockages can cause flooding, unpleasant odours, pollution in rivers and seas, and costly damage to the sewer network.

That’s why South West Water is urging customers to ‘Bin It, Don’t Block It’ this Unblocktober – a month-long UK campaign encouraging people and businesses to prevent drain blockages and protect waterways by disposing of waste responsibly.

Visit South West Water’s ‘Bin It, Don’t Block It’ page for more details.

Understanding Fatbergs and Their Impact

Many people still flush wet wipes or pour leftover fats down their sinks without realising the impact on the sewer network.

Wet wipes, even those labelled “flushable”, don’t break down like toilet paper. When they mix with fats and oils, they clump together and form solid blockages which can grow into fatbergs over time.

The consequences can be severe – flooding in homes, gardens and streets, environmental pollution, and expensive repairs to the sewer system.

How South West Water Tackles Fatbergs

In the past year alone, South West Water has cleared more than 7,000 avoidable blockages from its network, with three-quarters caused by wet wipes and fats.

The company not only clears blockages but also works proactively to prevent them. Its teams use specialist monitoring technology to identify problem hotspots before they escalate and carry out targeted sewer cleansing to keep things flowing.

South West Water also works with its contract partners, ECAS (Environmental Compliance and Services), to engage with food service establishments and encourage responsible waste disposal.

Philip Soden, Managing Director of ECAS, said:
“South West Water’s operational teams identify key areas in the region where blockages occur. Once located we then visit those hotspot locations and work with local commercial kitchens to help prevent future blockages.

“This could include introducing new grease-trapping equipment, identifying overlooked actions relating to misuse, and educating the kitchen teams on how to dispose of fat, oils and greases responsibly by introducing new and improved habits.”

Since partnering with South West Water, ECAS has worked with over 2,000 food and service establishments, resulting in the installation of 578 grease traps to help reduce blockages.

How You Can Help

Blockages thrive on what’s put down drains and toilets – but without a “food supply”, they can’t grow.

By making a few simple changes, everyone can help to starve fatbergs and protect homes, communities and the environment.

South West Water advises:

• Only flush the 3Ps – pee, poo and paper. Everything else belongs in the bin.

• Don’t pour fats, oils or grease down sinks. Let them cool, scrape or pour them into a container, and put them in your food waste bin.

• Food businesses should install and maintain grease-trapping equipment and adopt good kitchen habits, like dry-wiping dirty pots and plates into a bin before washing.

Jenny Eamer, Wastewater Services Operations Manager at South West Water, said:
“Blockages might sound like something out of a horror story, but they’re very real – and they start with the choices we all make at home and at work. The good news is that they’re easy to stop.

“By only flushing the 3Ps and keeping fats, oils and greases out of our drains, customers can protect their homes, keep our sewer network running smoothly, and safeguard the environment.

“Small actions starve these sewer monsters, and together we can make a big difference.”

For more information about Bin It, Don’t Block It, visit South West Water’s website