Anglian Water warns of bizarre items blocking eastern sewers

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 4 Nov, 13:13 · Archive

Anglian Water has found hair straighteners, shoes and a watering can among items blocking drains across the east.

Anglian Water has revealed the unexpected items found blocking drains across its 76,000km network in the east. Hair straighteners, shoes, and a watering can have been discovered in sewers, along with clothing, bottles, scissors, spoons, and even a £5 note. These items combine with wet wipes, sanitary products, and fats, oils, and grease to form serious blockages that disrupt services and damage infrastructure.

The water company clears around 35,000 blockages each year, many of which are preventable. Wet wipes are a major contributor to these problems. An estimated 500,000 are flushed daily in eastern England alone—equivalent to nearly 10,000 packets. Unlike toilet paper, wet wipes do not break down in water and can take more than a century to decompose, even those labelled as 'flushable'. About 90 per cent of wet wipes contain plastic.

Lizzie Frost, water recycling network director at Anglian Water, said the company is working with communities through the Just Bin It campaign to change behaviours and reduce avoidable blockages. She said Unblocktober, in October each year, is 'a chance for us to ramp up our messaging and show customers the hard work that happens behind the scenes to keep toilets flushing'. The company's message to customers is to only flush the 3 Ps: pee, poo and paper.

How it is being reported

• The bizarre items causing havoc beneath our streets revealedAnglian Water has revealed some of the strangest items which have been found blocking drains across the east.Colchester Gazette · 4 Nov, 13:00
• The bizarre items causing havoc beneath our streets revealedAnglian Water has revealed some of the strangest items which have been found blocking drains across the east.Echo (Basildon) · 4 Nov, 13:00
• The bizarre items causing havoc beneath our streets revealedAnglian Water has revealed some of the strangest items which have been found blocking drains across the east.Brentwood Guardian · 4 Nov, 13:00

In this story: Anglian Water · Eastern England

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