After flushing the toilet or rinsing the dishes, most people don’t think about what happens to their wastewater. On its way to one of our recycling centres, wastewater flows through the pipes under your home and into the sewers – but it’s getting blocked along the way – increasing the risk of sewer flooding.

 

What’s blocking the pipes?

Our teams are working around the clock to keep sewers flowing - but each year we find around 2,800 tonnes of wipes, sanitary products and leftover cooking fats blocking our region's sewers. That's the same as weight as 14 blue whales.

With nowhere else to go, wastewater backs up, flooding homes and gardens through overflowing toilets and manholes – or polluting local waterways which can be harmful to the environment.

Just Bin It to avoid blocked pipes

By making a small change to bin wipes, cooking fat and other unflushables you can help protect your home, street and local environment from nasty smells and sewer flooding. Discover more ways you can help. 

What to do about a blocked pipe

If wastewater isn’t draining away properly and you think you might have a blocked pipe, find out what to look out for and who can help you get it sorted. 

Connecting correctly to the sewer

Make sure that any new appliances, or gutters and drains on new extensions, are connected into the right part of the sewer. This will help keep wastewater flowing to the right place.