Whether you realise it or not, keeping our sewers clean and unblocked is very important for ensuring that our water is clean and that our rivers remain unpolluted.
A working sewerage system is vital for a clean environment and a healthy society, which means that it is important that we understand what causes blocked sewers and act to prevent problems before they happen.
Unfortunately too many individuals do not realise how important it is not to block up our sewer system and therefore see nothing wrong in using sinks, external drains and toilets as waste bins for oils, fats, food and solid waste items. This can cause sewer blockages, flooding and pollution.
Fats, oils, grease (FOG) and food waste cause major problems in the sewer systems and end up in high clean-up costs that are passed on to the customers via their water bills. These types of waste that are disposed of down toilets, drains and kitchen sinks form blockages and when they enter drainage systems that carry rainwater, they are transported directly into our rivers and streams.
Around £88 million is spent on clearing blocked sewers annually, and more than 3,000 properties are flooded as a result, costing customers an average of £66 to call in a company to clear a drain. 80% of sewer flooding incidents in the UK is as a direct result of sewers blocked by oils, fats, and grease, wipes, sanitary waste and other items that should not be flushed; there are approximately 366,000 sewer blockages in the UK every year.
It is important that we protect our waters from pollution by not flushing anything other than the norm down the toilet; most personal healthcare and beauty products should be disposed of in a dirt bin, not down the toilet because don’t break down like toilet paper does.
Unfortunately there are also around 300,000 UK homes where pipes have been connected incorrectly, resulting in wastewater from washing machines, sinks, baths and toilets flowing directly into local rivers or streams instead of to the sewage treatment works. This ultimately affects the quality of recreational and drinking water, so get into the habit of not disposing of FOG or other strange things down the sewer system.
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